Special Learning Disability, 'He is very smart but has errors in reading', 'He is a very smart child but his writing is illegible or writes backwards', 'Mathematics is poisonous but does not like to read', 'He reads very well but has difficulties in mathematics', etc. with inconsistent performances. These children, who learn differently, have problems in many lessons at school due to their specific difficulties. They exhibit inconsistent and variable performance. Even if a child who cannot read well understands mathematics very well, he also fails in mathematics because he misreads the problems. A child who mixes symbols reverses math operations. Even if a child with writing difficulties knows the questions, he or she will get low marks in exams because of his illegible writing. Different types of Special Learning Disability are called “dyslexia” in reading, “dysgraphia” in writing, “dyscalculia” in math skills.
What Kind of Studies Am I Doing About Special Learning Disability (Dyslexia)?
Special psycho-educational studies are carried out for children with a diagnosis of Specific Learning Disability or with symptoms of learning disability. With materials specially created for these children, individual studies are carried out with appropriate methods specific to the area of difficulty, such as increasing sensory awareness, correct reading, speed reading, visual perception-auditory perception development, attention and memory enhancement. Children are taught methods of coping with reading and writing problems. Collaboration with teachers is made and it is aimed to inform families about the problem and to regulate their attitudes towards the child. All of the studies carried out are the product of scientific studies that have been accepted nationally and internationally.
The most important point here is the evaluation stage of the child. There are two important goals in the evaluation; one is to identify the child's areas of difficulty, and the other is to identify the areas of strength. In other words, the aim is not only to diagnose the child, but also to plan the appropriate psycho-educational intervention processes. At this planning stage, the differential diagnosis should not be overlooked. It should be kept in mind that attention deficit can both accompany and be confused with attention deficit in learning disability. The tests and materials used in the diagnostic phase are as follows: These are;
Wisc-4 Intelligence Test
Special Learning Disability Battery(Reading-writing-arithmatic assessment, Head-Right-Left Test, Harris Lateralization Test, Draw Clock Test, Priority- Reciprocity Relationship, Sequencing Skills, Problem Solving Skills)
Neuro-psychological Tests
The most important point to be considered is whether the child's intelligence is normal or above normal. A child with learning disability CANNOT be diagnosed with mental retardation at the same time!!!
One of the biggest mistakes made is that the same programs or studies are given to every child with learning disability. Every child is special and every child's difficulty area is different. If these are understood and detected correctly, the steps to be taken will be both clearer and faster.
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