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Learning Difficulties

A learning difficulty is a type of special education need, which affects areas of learning, such as reading, writing, spelling, maths etc.

Learning difficulties is a label given to a group of conditions that are present before the age of 18, such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. This impacts the way individuals develop in all core areas, and ultimately how they live their lives and access health care.

This should not be confused with learning disability.

Signs
Dyslexia: a term for disorders that involve difficulty in learning to read or interpret words, letters, and other symbols, but that do not affect general intelligence.

ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder that interferes with functioning through a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity.

Dyscalculia: severe difficulty in making arithmetical calculations, as a result of brain disorder.

Dysgraphia: inability to write coherently, as a symptom of brain disease or damage.

Dyspraxia: Also known as developmental co-ordination disorder (DCD), is a common disorder that affects movement and co-ordination. Dyspraxia does not affect your intelligence. It can affect your co-ordination skills – such as tasks requiring balance, playing sports or learning to drive a car.