Specific Learning Disability (SLD)

According to IDEA (2017) a Specific Learning Disability means "a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write spell, or to do mathematical calculations."

Common traits/characteristics 

• Difficulty with organization and sequencing 

• Difficulty reading and/or writing 

• Students may have a poor memory or a short attention span

• Students may have a difficulty with hand eye coordination, including other coordination issues

Educational challenges:

Students may have a challenge being distracted in the classroom. This may be expressed through short attention span and trouble with a restless body. Additionally, students may have a difficulty with sounding out letters and placing letters in the wrong sequence when reading and/ or writing.

Tips/ recommendations for teachers:

• Allow the students to have frequent breaks when necessary

• The teacher should make spaces in the classroom that are free from various distractions

• Allow for instructions to be produced in written text and orally