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Many children have trouble reading, writing, or performing other learning-related tasks at some point. This does not mean they have learning disabilities. A child with a learning disability often has several related signs, and they don't go away or get better over time. The signs of learning disabilities vary from person to person.

Please note that the generally common signs included here are for informational purposes only; the information is not intended to screen for learning disabilities in general or for a specific type of learning disability.

Common signs that a person may have learning disabilities include the following:

Problems reading and/or writing

Problems with math

Poor memory

Problems paying attention

Trouble following directions

Clumsiness

Trouble telling time

Problems staying organized

A child with a learning disability also may have one or more of the following:

Acting without really thinking about possible outcomes (impulsiveness)

"Acting out" in school or social situations

Difficulty staying focused; being easily distracted

Difficulty saying a word correctly out loud or expressing thoughts

Problems with school performance from week to week or day to day

Speaking like a younger child; using short, simple phrases; or leaving out words in sentences

Having a hard time listening

Problems dealing with changes in schedule or situations

Problems understanding words or concepts

These signs alone are not enough to determine that a person has a learning disability. Only a professional can diagnose a learning disability.

Each learning disability has its own signs. A person with a particular disability may not have all of the signs of that disability.

Children being taught in a second language may show signs of learning problems or a learning disability. The learning disability assessment must take into account whether a student is bilingual or a second language learner. In addition, for English-speaking children, the assessment should be sensitive to differences that may be due to dialect, a form of a language that is specific to a region or group.

Below are some common learning disabilities and the signs associated with them:

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What are some signs of learning disabilities?

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Many children have trouble reading, writing, or performing other learning-related tasks at some point. This does not mean they have learning disabilities. A child with a learning disability often has several related signs, and they don't go away or get better over time. The signs of learning disabilities vary from person to person.

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Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a communication disorder that interferes with learning, understanding, and using language. These language difficulties are not explained by other conditions, such as hearing loss or autism, or by extenuating circumstances, such as lack of exposure to language…

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Development language disorder (DLD), considered a neurodevelopmental disorder, that falls under speech, language, and communication needs. It is a long-life condition that affects the child in using and understanding language. It is also known as specific language impairment (SLI), speech disorder, speech-language impairment, or expressive-receptive language disorder. All these names come under the umbrella term of a developmental speech disorder.

Children with developmental language difficulties may be at risk of working below their age range level. Children with developmental language difficulties may be struggling with social skills and low educational attainment. The child at the age of 4 has a more stable language ability, therefore the developmental language disorder can be measured accurately at the age of 4. That does not mean that there are no signs of developmental language disorder appearing on the child before age 4 but it is more accurately diagnosed at the age of 4.

Language skills are a vital tool for everyday life communication, school-age children need verbal capabilities to be able to communicate with others and express themselves. It is estimated that 1 out of 14 children may have difficulty in using phrasing skills or have a developmental language disorder.

A useful exercise for understanding oral skills is to place yourself in the child's situation, imagine yourself not being able to express that you are angry. Another example is that you are not able to understand what task you should do while your boss is giving you a deadline to finish it. Imagine how stressful these feelings are? In this article, we will go in-depth on developmental language disorder and look at what positive steps teachers can take in identifying speech issues.

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‍How can we identify developmental language disorder?

It is important to obverse the skills of childrens development milestones, to ensure that the developmental skills are at the proper age range. As with any impairment, children with language disorders will have early signs that careers and parents need to take into consideration. Here are some signs of developmental language disorder:

Difficulties in oral phrasing competence: they may have difficulties in translating their ideas into words and sentences. That is leading to obstacles with social situations and communication difficulties.

Difficulty with expressive wording: Children with DLD may struggle to express their feeling and thoughts. Also, difficulties with finding the right words to describe their feelings. As a result, they may be less talkative than others

Speech sound disorder: which means skipping sounds out, for example; saying nan instead of banana. Moreover, children with DLD may use wrong sounds, wed instead of red.

Weak language skills:

1. Children with DLD may struggle with listening, reading, writing, and speaking skills.

2. Children with DLD may have difficulty remembering what they heard, struggle to pay attention to the given instructions

3. Having difficulty remembering and learning new words and their vocabulary as result they struggle in reading and writing.

4. Also, they may not be secured to use correct grammar during writing and speaking.

5. Difficulty in forming up a sentence

6. Difficulty in speaking skills as they may not be able to re-tell a story.

Difficulty with receptive language: difficulty with following verbal instructions, answering questions, misunderstanding what has been said to them.

All these conditions may result in misbehaving or anxiety for the child, as the child with DLD has obstacles with communication skills.

All of the above are common signs with DLD but it does not mean that all of these signs will appear on the child. Participators should deal according to each individual child's needs.

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Biomedical Condition: such as having autism spectrum disorders, genetic conditions such as down syndrome, where the child has obstacles to communication and learning in everyday life. Different ways of the child's brain and how it is made up and how are the parts of the brain involved with each other

Cognition Condition: cognitive skills are the ability of thinking, paying attention, remembering, and learning. Having difficulty in cognition skills may be a reason for having DLD. As a result, DLD commonly appeared in ADHD and other learning disabilities like dyslexia.

Environmental Condition: lack of nutrition diet, low birth weight, birth conditions like lack of oxygen before and during delivery.

Why do some children have a developmental language disorder?

Language development requires a multitude of interconnected skills including hearing, seeing and comprehending information. There are many studies about DLD, but there is no current study that was able to answer why some children have DLD and some do not. Some studies were able to highlight a common condition that may be resulting in having DLD.

It is unlikely that only one factor will lead to DLD, usually, there is more than one factor that interacts together that results in DLD. Because of that, it is important to consider the individual needs of each child.

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What are the different types of assessment tools used for developmental language disorders?

CELF-5: The Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals (CELF), assessing the child's communication and language learning skills in different contexts to identify impaired language development. The age range for this assessment is 5 to 22 years.

PLS-5 English: is to identify receptive and expressive language skills in different areas including play, vocal development, attention, concepts, language structures, and others. It helps in targeting the strengths and weaknesses to know the type of language disorder and identifying the intervention for it. The age range of this assessment is from birth to 7 years old.

To be able to establish a suitable intervention for the child, assessing the child is the fundamental phase to identify the individual child's needs. It is important to use different techniques during the assessment to help the child, including regular breaks, breaking down the task into small chunks, positive reinforcement, or informal assessments like classroom observations. An additional point for assessing bilingual children is that they should be assessed with their first language. To decide if bilingual children have a speech disorder or language delay it should occur in their primary and secondary language.

Ethnographic Interviewing - open-ended questions used to gain information from the child, teacher, family members, or others.

Analog Tasks - it is observing the child's communication development in real-life scenarios, including working with peers.

Naturalistic Observation - to observe the child in daily social life with others, including home and school environment.

Language Sampling - is using language in a variety of contexts including conversation, free play, narration, and expository speech.

Here are standardized language assessments that are used to identify the DLD:

Some techniques also may be helpful and enhancing language assessments:

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Get the child's attention - mention their names before given instruction to ensure that they are listening to you (e.g: Sofia write the date)

Ensure face-to-face communication: it is important that the child looks at your face while speaking to him, always getting down to the child's level

Use simple language and clear instructions: ensure to repeat the word more than once, so the child gets used to the words and be easy to memorize it

Talk calmly and slowly: a child with DLD needs to process words and orders given to them

Give the child time to respond: Children with DLD may need more time to process information and translate it orally

Use symbols: provide visual aids and nonverbal communication to introduce new words and concepts. Visual timetables can help them to plan and organize their daily life activities, provide a checklist to tick off the task that is achieved

Encourage the child to communicate: byusing verbal and non-verbal communication ways

Check that the child understands you: ask the child to repeat the instructions in their own words

Help them to learn different skills: for example, playing games to learn taking turns, and listening to others.

Give specific instructions - e.g. 'put your pencil on the table'

Create 'role play area': to practice using language in different events, e.g: set up a supermarket where the child practice writing a list of shopping and try to memorize it/ or pretending that the child is a patient, to practice expressing how does he/she feel

Praise their effort: promoting the child to gain confidence while speaking

What strategies can support a child with DLD at school?

Every child has individual abilities that needs to be celebrated, neurodiversity has received a lot of attention in schools and the workplace and these differences bring with them advantages. Here is a list of strategies to help children with DLD at home and school:

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Speech and language therapy for Developmental Language Disorders

Assessing and identifying children with DLD

Develop the language abilities for children with DLD

Teach children with DLD techniques and strategies to minimize the communication difficulties and to assist them to access their learning and social environment

Supporting parents and other participants to deal with children having DLD

Providing therapies in 1:1 sessions and small groups for children with DLD.

Supporting schools to create an environment that helps the children with DLD to learn and be involved in the education and social setting

Helping teachers and parents to use different communication styles that help children with DLD to understand and develop their language skills.

Helping teachers to set friendly classrooms to help children with DLD to communicate with it.

Raising awareness, educating, and training other professionals in identifying and working with children with DLD.

Speech and language therapists are playing an important role in defining and managing DLD. The individual needs of the child are changeable according to each stage, as an example from foundation stage to primary school, from primary school to secondary school, and from secondary to post-16 provision.

The aims of speech-language therapists are:
1. What are developmental language disorders?
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2. How do developmental language disorders present?
Frequently Asked Questions on Developmental Language Disorders
3. How can developmental language disorders impact a child's achievement at school?
Developmental language disorders (DLDs) are a type of speech and language disorder that affect a child's ability to understand and/or use language. These disorders are typically lifelong conditions that can impact a child's speech development, academic achievement, and social interactions.
4. What role does a speech-language pathologist play in supporting children with developmental language disorders?
The presentation of language disorders can vary widely. Some children may have difficulties with speech production, such as articulating certain sounds or words. Others may struggle with understanding language, including following instructions or understanding complex sentences. Some children may also have a speech delay, where they reach language milestones later than their peers.
5. What support is available for children with developmental language disorders?
Children with DLDs may face challenges in school, as language is central to learning. They may struggle to understand instructions, have difficulty expressing their ideas, or find it hard to follow conversations or discussions. These challenges can impact their academic performance and social interactions at school.

A speech-language pathologist (SLP) plays a crucial role in diagnosing and treating DLDs. They can assess a child's language skills, identify any difficulties or delays, and provide targeted therapy to support language development. They can also provide guidance to teachers and parents on how to support the child's language growth.

There are many services available to support children with DLDs. This can include speech-language therapy, where an SLP works directly with the child to improve their language skills. Schools may also provide additional support, such as accommodations in the classroom or additional tutoring.

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https://fusionwebclinic.com/most-common-slp-assesment-tools/Tools https://www.healthline.com/health/mixed-receptive-expressive-language-disorder https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2019.00094 https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/fact-sheet-developmental-language-disorder/ https://www.boystownhospital.org/knowledge-center/what-is-developmental-language-disorder https://www.kentcht.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Developmental-Language-Disorder-DLD-leaflet-info-for-teachers.pdf https://www.bhamcommunity.nhs.uk/patients-public/children-and-young-people/services-parent-portal/birmingham-slt/specialist-areas/dld/
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References:

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Developmental language disorders: A teacher's guide

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Developmental language disorders can have a profound effect on a child's education, what positive steps can teachers take in the classroom?

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Specific Learning Disability Observation Guidance Chart

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Search for up-to-date data on all Missouri School Districts.

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Referral to Special Education -- Emotional Disturbance

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In this episode, we talk about common adjustments teachers make in the classroom to support students with developmental language disorder, or DLD. A neurodevelopmental condition, DLD affects both language expression (talking and writing) and language comprehension (listening and reading).

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Information, advice and resources for schools and parents on helping children and young people with medical or mental health conditions get the best out of school.

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Page 5: Differentiate Content

When teachers differentiate content, the same concept or skill is taught to each student; however, the curriculum used to teach the concept or skill might be different for different students. The table below highlights a number of strategies that teachers can use to differentiate content and indicates the student characteristic addressed:

readiness interest, and learning profile

Click on each link for detailed information about implementing these strategies.
Tiered Content
One way to differentiate content for heterogeneous classrooms is to tier content. When teachers tier content, all students complete the same type of activity (e.g., worksheet, report), but the content varies in difficulty. Typically students are divided into three groups based on readiness levels. The activities assigned to the low, middle, and high groups (groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively) differ in terms of complexity. Below is an example of content that is tiered by readiness.

Key Concept: Students develop an understanding of units of time.

Lesson: The teacher uses the book The Official M & M's Book of the Millennium as a means of providing background about time in general and more specifically about the formation of the calendar.

After the teacher reads the first three pages of the book and illustrates the addition of various time units including Roman numerals, the students work in pairs to complete a worksheet which contains some simple problems involving the addition of time units including some which are written in Roman numerals.Next the teacher reads with the students the remainder of the book, which is all about calendars. Students work in pairs to complete a worksheet, which has questions pertaining to the present day Gregorian calendar.

After the students read the first three pages of the book and the teacher illustrates the addition of various time units, the students work in pairs to complete a worksheet which contains more difficult problems involving the addition of time units most of which are written in Roman numerals. Next the students read the remainder of the book, which is all about calendars. Students work in pairs to complete a worksheet, which compares the early Roman calendars with the present day Gregorian calendar.

After the students read the first three pages of the book, the students work in pairs to complete a worksheet of problems of various difficulty levels, which involve the addition of time units all expressed Roman numerals. Next the students read the remainder of the book, which is all about calendars. Students then work in a group to orally compare the various calendars (Chinese, Aztec, & Roman), which are presented in the book. Then the students create a worksheet, which asks questions about the three calendars.

Adapted from https://www.in.gov/doe/files/Fourth-Readiness-Math.pdf
(Close this panel) Providing a Variety of Materials
Teachers can differentiate content based on readiness level, interests, or learning profile by offering a variety of materials. This allows students to access the information in the way that works best for them. Teachers might consider offering:

A range of textbooks: In addition to the grade-level text, the teacher can provide texts one or two grade levels below and above the grade-level text. This allows students who are struggling with the reading level or the complexity of the skill to access the content at the level that is best for them. It also allows students who know the content or quickly master it to have the opportunity to work on more advanced skills.

Supplemental materials: These materials might include Internet resources, magazines, newspapers, books on CDs, videos, and computer games.

Teachers might want to build a library of varied textbooks and supplemental materials for differentiating instruction. This library of materials may grow over time as the teacher accumulates used and new books. Alternatively, teachers might locate these resources at the school media center or the public library.
(Close this panel) Presentation Styles
When they present content, teachers should utilize a variety of presentation styles; that is, they should provide learners with a variety of media and formats that allows students to choose what works best for them. Multiple media and formats also allow students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts by providing opportunities to interact with those concepts in a variety of ways. The table below highlights different methods of presenting content.

Say It
Lecture
Discussion
Questioning
Read Aloud
Verbal Description

Show It
Pictures/ Graphic
Transparency
White Board
Film
Caption

Model It
Demonstrate
Think Aloud
Act Out
Build/ Construct
Use Manipulatives
(Close this panel) Scaffolding
For students who struggle with learning a new skill or content, the teacher can provide instructional scaffolding, a process through which a teacher adds supports for students in order to enhance learning and aid in the mastery of tasks. The teacher does this by systematically building on a student's experiences and knowledge as he or she learns a new skill. As the student increasingly masters the task, the supports are gradually removed. The teacher may need to consider different ways to scaffold for those who have difficulty reading and understanding text and for those who have difficulty mastering a new task.

Difficulty Reading and Understanding Text

The table below suggests a number of ways to scaffold instruction for students who have difficulty reading and comprehending text. The teacher can use the following strategies to help students understand the content. In the beginning, the teacher may be actively involved in helping students implement the strategy. As they learn the strategy, however, the teacher gradually turns over responsibility for implementing the strategy to the students.

Strategy

Examples of Strategy

Activate prior knowledge

An instructional tool that students use to indicate what they already Know about a topic, what they Want to learn, and, after reading, what they have Learned.

Preteach new vocabulary

Make predictions

Use cues (e.g., title, illustrations) to make a prediction

Address unfamiliar words

Look up word and record definition

Monitor comprehension

Use mental imagery

Retell or summarize

1-minute retell with partner

Make a diorama, poster, or collage

Make a comic book version

Difficulty Mastering a Task

When a student experiences difficulty learning a new skill or task, the teacher can scaffold the instruction by specifying the task's steps (i.e., a task analysis) and then modeling those steps while thinking aloud. For example, a teacher scaffolds instruction for a student who is having difficulty adding two two-digit numbers. To begin, the teacher performs a task analysis, breaking the task into manageable steps. Next, the teacher models each step in the task multiple times and allows time for the student to practice. As the student masters the task, the supports are gradually removed.

Task Analysis
(adding two two-digit numbers)

Step 1:
Add the numbers in the one's column.

Step 2:
If the sum is less than 10, write the number under the one's column. If the sum is 10 or greater, write the one's digit under the one's column and write the ten's digit on top of the ten's column.

Step 3:
Add the numbers in the ten's column. If applicable, be sure to include the number you carried.

Step 4:
Write the sum of the numbers under the ten's column.

To learn more about scaffolding, view the following IRIS Module:
(Close this panel) Learning Contracts
A learning contract is an agreement between the teacher and student that specifies in writing the work the student will complete in a given amount of time. A learning contract allows teachers to differentiate the curriculum based on the student's readiness level or learning profile. When negotiating the contract, the teacher and student need to specify the task to be completed, when it will be completed, the quantity and quality of the work, the criteria by which it will be evaluated, and when appropriate the resulting grade. The contract might also include the consequences for not meeting the terms. Click on the graphics below to view an example of a learning contract or to download a blank learning contract.

Developing effective learning contracts generally requires the skills and proficiency of an experienced teacher. When utilizing learning contracts, the teacher should consider the following:

Some students might complete their contract early. The teacher should prepare for this and have additional activities related to the content (e.g., computer activities) available for the student.

Students often require assistance in managing their time. Teachers can provide students with supports, such as daily planning, to help them to stay on schedule.

Unexpected events (e.g., student is absent, technical glitches) may prohibit the student from completing the contract by the specified due date. In such cases, the teacher might want to offer additional time to complete the contract.

(Close this panel) Compacting
To differentiate instruction for advanced learners who have already mastered certain content or skills, teachers may want to consider compacting the curriculum. Doing so allows students to skip content they know or to proceed quickly through content. This strategy targets students' readiness levels and it can be applied to any subject and at any grade level. Compacting the curriculum involves three steps:

Step 1: Assess student knowledge

Prior to the lesson or unit, the teacher assesses the student. Students who score 90% or higher on the pretest might be compacted out of the entire unit, whereas students who score 80-89% (partial mastery) might be compacted out of a portion of it.

Step 2: Create plan for mastering all parts of the curriculum

The teacher creates a plan to make sure the student learns any content not yet mastered.

Step 3: Create plan for enrichment activities

Because students are excused for some or all of the related lessons and assignments for content they have mastered or will learn quickly, the teacher and the student design a plan for how the student will spend his or her free time. To make the student accountable for this work, the teacher may want to present this plan in writing in the form of a compacting agreement (i.e., a specialized learning contract).

Click on the graphics below to view an example of a compacting agreement or to download a blank learning contract specific to compacting.

Research Shows

The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) conducted a study of curriculum compacting. This study included 436 teachers and 783 students in grades 2-6. Researchers found that when 40-50% of the curriculum was eliminated for selected students in a given subject area, no differences were found between the students who received compacting and those who received the full curriculum on the end-of-year achievement test. In other words, the students who experienced a compacted curriculum did not score lower than their peers on these tests.
Reis et. al., (1992).
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Making adjustments to these instructional elements often requires teachers to change their approach to instruction. Listen as Carol Ann Tomlinson discusses why this is often the biggest challenge teachers encounter when they begin to differentiate instruction (time: 0:46).

Carol Ann Tomlinson, EdD
Professor of Educational Leadership, Foundations, and Policy
The University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA

Transcript: Carol Ann Tomlinson, EdD

At its core, differentiation is an instructional model, and standards are a curricular issue. So what differentiation really says to teachers is you tell me what you need to teach, and we can show you how to teach it more flexibly and more effectively. So, in essence, differentiation can show you how to differentiate learning the phonebook or how to differentiate learning Shakespeare. So on that level there is no conflict, because differentiation isn't trying to tell you what you have to teach. It's just suggesting that frequently teaching in more than one way or with a little more flexibility will help kids learn whatever it is you're trying to teach more effectively.

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When teachers differentiate content, the same concept or skill is taught to each student; however, the curriculum used to teach the concept or skill might be different for different students. The table below highlights a number of strategies that teachers can use to differentiate content and indicates the student characteristic addressed: readiness interest, and learning profile Click on each link for detailed information about implementing these strategies.