Learning Disabilities: Common Warning Signs By Schwab Foundation for Learning If parents, teachers and other professionals discover a child's learning disability early and provide the right kind of help, it can give the child a chance to develop skills needed to lead a successful and productive life. A recent National Institutes of Health study showed that 67 percent of young students who were at risk for reading difficulties became average or above—average readers after receiving help in the early grades. If you are aware of the common signs of learning disabilities, you will be able to recognize potential problems early. Following is a checklist of characteristics that may point to a learning disability. Most people will, from time to time, see one or more of these warning signs in their children. This is normal. If, however, you see several of these characteristics over a long period of time, consider the possibility of a learning disability. Preschool Speaks later than most children Pronunciation problems Slow vocabulary growth, often unable to find the right word Difficulty rhyming words Trouble learning numbers, alphabet, days of the week, colors, shapes Extremely restless and easily distracted Trouble interacting with peers Difficulty following directions or routines Fine motor skills slow to develop Grades K-4 Slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds Confuses basic words (run, eat, want) Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including letter reversals (b/d), inversions (m/w), transpositions(felt/left) and substitutions (house/home) Transposes number sequences and confuses arithmetic signs (+, -, x, /, =) Slow to remember facts Slow to learn new skills, relies heavily on memorization Impulsive, difficulty planning Unstable pencil grip Trouble learning about time Poor coordination, unaware of physical surroundings, prone to accidents Grades 5-8 Reverses letter sequences (soiled/solid, left/felt) Slow to learn prefixes, suffixes, root words, and other spelling strategies Avoids reading aloud Trouble with word problems Difficulty with handwriting Awkward, fist-like or tight pencil grip Avoids writing compositions Slow or poor recall of facts Difficulty making friends Trouble understanding body language and facial expressions High School Students and Adults Continues to spell incorrectly, frequently spells the same word differently in a single piece of writing Avoids reading and writing tasks Trouble summarizing Trouble with open-ended questions on tests Weak memory skills Difficulty adjusting to new settings Works slowly Poor grasp of abstract concepts Either pays too little attention to details or focuses on them too much Misreads information The preceding is an excerpt from the Bridges to Reading booklet. Courtesy of the Schwab Foundation for Learning. All contents ® and ™ 1997, 1998, 1999 Schwab Foundation for Learning All Rights Reserved Any interested person or organization may copy or reprint portions of this article provided such copy may not be sold or otherwise used for commercial purposes and any such copy must contain the above stated copyright notice. Back to Experts' Advice Check out the Support Message Board in Peer Perspectives and see what other parents are talking about. Legal Stuff You Should Know