Happy February! Sorry, we missed you last month! Winter Break has come and gone, the days are getting longer, and February is already nearing a close with a chilling reminder of just how cold it gets here in Calgary!
This month, we are talking about Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) and next month, we will be talking about the relationship and impact anxiety may have on symptoms of ADHD, ASD, and/or SLD.
Specific Learning Disorder is a general category in the DSM-5, the diagnostic manual assessment psychologists use to diagnose learning differences.
Did you know that according to the American Psychiatric Association, approximately 5–15% of school-aged students are impacted by Specific Learning Disorders (APA, 2022)? And most of the students diagnosed with a Specific Learning Disorder (around 80%) are diagnosed with an impairment in reading (Dyslexia) (APA, 2026).
Specific Learning Disorders are often diagnosed alongside other diagnoses such as ADHD and anxiety (APA, 2026).
A diagnosis will typically be identified with a descriptor of mild, moderate, or severe in addition to a specifier of the nature of the difficulty (APA, 2022). To be diagnosed with an SLD, a psychologist conducts a thorough assessment of academic and cognitive skills and develops a deep understanding of the student’s learning history and family history, building a comprehensive picture of the person’s strengths and areas of challenge.
Difficulties must be present for at least six months in one of the areas of reading, written expression, and/or math skills, have academic skills below what is expected based on the person’s age and level of education which are causing some difficulty in learning and life, the difficulties started in school, and the difficulties are not stemming from another condition including intellectual disability, physical condition, or adverse conditions like a lack of instruction, environmental disadvantage or difficulty with the language (APA, 2022; APA, 2026).
So what does it all mean, and how does it relate to learning in school and out of school?
Specific Learning Disorder with Impairment in Reading
- Evidence gathered through a psychoeducational assessment shows the person has difficulty with word reading accuracy, and/or reading rate or fluency, and/or reading comprehension.
- Often called dyslexia when the challenge is word reading fluency or word reading accuracy, sounding out words, and spelling.
- In school and at home, people might avoid reading, select only books they have heard many times and have the stories memorized, prefer videos or audio, or delay starting tasks that involve spelling or reading.
- Students might avoid reading material out loud.
- Students might thrive when they listen to a story and are encouraged to respond to questions orally.
- They might have many words they have memorized, and then struggle when they come across a word they have not read before.
Specific Learning Disorder with Impairment in Written Expression
- Students might have difficulty with spelling, and writing output, including accuracy, grammar, punctuation, and/or clarity or organization of writing expression.
- Sometimes called dysgraphia.
- Students might struggle to recognize learners or get started on a writing project.
- Students might have a hard time breaking words into syllables and recognizing words that rhyme, and spelling similar words.
- They might tell you a story and then have a difficult time writing that same story on paper or on a computer.
- Students might avoid starting a writing project, write sentences with no punctuation, or write a similar idea repeatedly in a paragraph.
- Students might have a hard time summarizing research or synthesizing ideas.
Specific Learning Disorder with Impairment in Mathematics
- Students might have sustained difficulty with number sense, memorization of number sentences (facts), accurate or fluent calculations (hard time with times tables or understanding that 2+3 is the same as 3+2), and/or accurate math reasoning (APA, 2026; Cleveland Clinic, 2022)
- Sometimes called dyscalculia when the challenges are specific to learning number-related concepts, working through information that is communicated with numbers, using mathematical symbols, or performing accurate or fluent math calculations.
- Often people diagnosed with dyslexia have difficulty with math, given that math is a language that relies on symbols that are put together to represent meaning (numbers) (APA, 2026).
- People who have a difficult time with math may avoid math class or working at home on math facts.
- Students who have a difficult time with number sense often struggle with place value and understanding how numbers relate to one another. They rely on memorization versus understanding.
- Students can develop a deeper understanding of numbers through visual images and concrete manipulatives (blocks, rods, beads).
Common Points to Understand
- Specific Learning Disorders are lifelong. How the symptoms show up might change over time as the person learns more coping strategies, builds foundational skills, and learns tools that work well for them (APA 2026).
- People diagnosed with Specific Learning Disorders are:
- Capable of learning (APA, 2026).
- Benefit from early intervention that focuses on foundational skills.
- Successful when they have support and people around them who believe they are smart and able to tackle new challenges.
- Capable of working in any area of interest in the future, especially if they receive foundational skills intervention during their school years (the earlier the better!).
- At greater risk of low self-esteem, anxiety, school avoidance, low self-confidence, friendship difficulties, and school difficulties when they do not have the support they need to be successful.
- There is no quick fix. Intervention to support the development of foundational skills takes time and, depending on the severity of the learning disorder, can take years of dedicated intervention alongside academic learning.
- Students benefit from accommodations, which allow them to access learning. Accommodations support learning but do not change what the student is learning. Accommodations include additional time, speech-to-text, audio, scribes, typing responses, spell check, multiplication tables, formula sheets, etc. Modification means adjusting what is being learned in class. While accommodations might include a limited quantity, modifications include reducing the complexity of the material.
Resources
Understood.org is a wonderful resource with videos and information for both children and adults.
Dyslexiacanada.org has excellent evidence-based information about dyslexia. Ldadhdnetwork.ca is a Calgary-based network of information that collates evidence-based information into one easy-to-use website.
Counselling Services & Wraparound Support
We continue to have a counsellor supporting the needs of our learners in Grades K–6. If you would like to have your child connect with her, please reach out to Jenny Duffield.
Serena is here to support the needs of our Grades 7-12 students. If you would like your child to connect with her, please reach out via email.
Lastly, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s learning journey, you can also reach out to me, Head of Student Supports, Paige McDonald.