Dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia: understand learning disorders

Some people have difficulties with certain subjects: some cannot do math in their heads, others read in fits and starts, some cannot memorize paths. There is, however, a difference between finding a subject confusing and having a learning disability.

In the latter case, a disorder causes a delay in learning related to writing, reading or mathematics, in addition to affecting cognitive development. The causes of the disorder can be biological, genetic or environmental, with an influence on the brain’s ability to process or perceive verbal or non-verbal information.

In Brazil, learning disorders affect about 5% of children enrolled in schools – which is equivalent to more than 1.2 million students, according to data from the School Census released by Inep (National Institute of Educational Studies and Research Anísio Teixeira). And it is precisely in the school environment that they are perceived – in the dynamics and frustration in individual and group activities, teachers notice specific difficulties of their students and may indicate the need to seek a medical diagnosis.

Pedagogues Renata Haddad (postgraduate in neuroeducation with an emphasis on autism spectrum disorder and master’s student in developmental disorders) and Dilma Nandes Ervilha (specialist in management, supervision and educational guidance at Colégio Objetivo de Brasília) explained to us everything about the main learning disorders: dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia.

If you notice a group of characteristics of any of them in your child, talk to the school’s pedagogical team and seek help from a neurologist. The sooner the diagnosis is confirmed, the sooner there can be an intervention to overcome the problem and guarantee a better quality of life and education for the child.

Dyslexia

It is characterized by difficulty reading and writing, accurate and fluent recognition of words and the inability to decode and spell them. It ends up affecting the development of speech and the formation of the child’s vocabulary.

It also has as symptoms the difficulty in memorizing words and spelling rules and a very accentuated dispersion or lack of attention. Complications in learning rhymes and following song lyrics and delay in motor coordination are also signs of dyslexia.

It usually manifests itself around 5 years of age.

There is no cure, but it is possible to lead a normal life if there is early support. Treatment with speech therapy and therapy allows the creation of strategies to overcome difficulties and learn their own way of dealing with words.

Dysgraphia

It is characterized by difficulty in writing fluency in aspects such as spelling errors in exaggerated amount and formation of simple words. It can lead to problems with motor coordination.

Other symptoms that indicate the disorder are writing with very small or very large letters (not following the measurements of the lines in the notebook), improper use of uppercase and lowercase letters, overlapping letters and too fast or too slow speed when writing.

It usually manifests itself around 5 years of age.

The treatment is through therapy in which the child is encouraged to feel his own writing, to do guided writing exercises. At home, parents or guardians can draw, paint and model to help. And at school it is interesting for teachers to give individual attention to children and respect their pace of adaptation.

Dyscalculia

It is characterized by the inability to perform mathematical and arithmetic operations. In practice, it is not being able to organize, classify and perform operations with numbers properly. It is common for either the child’s mother or father to also have dyscalculia, which indicates a genetic component in the disorder.

Also symptoms are the child not being able to count the little fingers of the hands, not recognizing larger-smaller and longer-shorter patterns, and not following the order of the numbers.

It usually manifests itself between 4 and 6 years of age.

The treatment must be carried out jointly by parents, caregivers and teachers in order to help the child develop their own strategies to overcome the problem. For example: ask her to draw three balls, point to four trees in the park, introduce two schoolmates. In summary, one should treat numbers as friends and make sure that they are organized in the child’s brain naturally.