SLD Symptoms

Research suggests Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs), including dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia, have a neurological basis, and may also have a genetic component. While estimates of prevalence vary, research suggests that around 5% of children may be affected, with diagnoses ranging along a continuum from 'mild' to 'severe'.

In essence, dyslexia refers to a pattern of learning difficulties characterised by problems with accurate or fluent word recognition, poor decoding, and poor spelling. Underlying this is generally a weakness in one or more of the basic psychological processes, especially phonological processing (awareness of the sounds making up spoken words). Working memory and processing speed may also be affected. These weaknesses impact the ease and efficiency of learning sound-letter associations, a core skill necessary for reading.

The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as a:

“specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.”

Common signs of an SLD in reading (dyslexia)

Symptoms can vary not only from person to person, but also across age groups. The British Dyslexia Association provides an extensive list of symptoms, organised by age group. Common signs in primary school include children who:

are slow to identify the connections between sounds and letters
don’t recognise familiar words
constantly make inconsistent spelling errors, for example, spell a word several ways in one piece of writing
leave letters out of words or write them in the wrong order and can’t see the errors
have good ideas but take longer than average to do written work
make errors in reading or writing that involve reversals or confusions with words (for example, saw|was, stops|spots, does|goes)
read very slowly
make decoding errors, especially single words in isolation
show frustration with, or avoidance of, tasks involving reading or writing
appear to be fatigued by the effort needed to complete a reading or writing task
lack confidence and have a low opinion of their academic ability

Link to information on screening for dyslexia

A person with dysgraphia has difficulty with the process of writing. It may affect the mechanics of writing, or the ability to organise a written response, or both.

Common signs of an SLD in writing (dysgraphia)

Difficulty with fine motor skills which may show as trouble forming letters shapes, and illegible handwriting
Tight, awkward, or painful grip on a pencil
Difficulty following a line or staying within margins
Unusual posture, or paper position, while writing
Poor spelling, including unfinished words or missing words or letters
Difficulty organizing or articulating thoughts on paper
Trouble with sentence structure or following rules of grammar when writing, but not when speaking
Pronounced difference between the ability to speak about, and write about, a topic

Link to information on screening for dysgraphia

Dyscalculia is more than just 'trouble with maths', it is a difficulty grasping very basic numerical concepts.

Common signs of an SLD in maths (dyscalculia)

Common signs of dyscalculia include difficulty with:

Grasping the concept of quantities such as biggest vs smallest
Understanding that the numeral 5 is the same as the word five, and that these both mean five items
Remembering maths facts such as multiplication tables
Handling money and calculating change
Estimating time, speed and distance
Telling left from right
Reading a clock
Time management

Link to information on screening for dyscalculia