12 Signs Your Child May Have a Learning Disability

Dr. Bradley explains that when students have a difficult time learning, going to school can be miserable. As they watch their peers excel around them, the school setting can be a source of stress and create poor self-esteem. The added pressure from adults to do better and be better only builds school resistance in students who are struggling to stay afloat.

Students with learning disabilities such as ADHD may have a hard time focusing or concentrating. Since learning disabilities are neurologically-based processing problems, students may become easily distracted. This may lead to a difficult time focusing enough to learn and study school material.

Certain learning and attention problems can make it hard for kids to follow directions. While a child may be perceived as ignoring what they're being told, there are a variety of ways children with learning disabilities may display challenges with following directions. Some can't process multi-step directions while others need things written out or they get too distracted to actually "hear" what you're saying.

Learning disabilities can lead to two types of memory problems. When teachers and parents see gaps in skills or a lack of self-confidence, students may be dealing with memory problems affecting working or long-term memory. Children with memory issues have trouble grasping and holding onto information.

Trouble with everyday life skills such as organization and time management may actually be a sign of a learning disability. Brain-based conditions can lead children to frequently lose track of time, leave tasks unfinished, and misplace things. The most common cause of this is weakness in executive function skills.

Some students display signs of listening comprehension problems that are masked as hearing issues. Some children can't follow up on what you said while others just can't remember. In their younger years, students may not be able to learn songs or nursery rhymes, and as they get older, they might have issues with spelling, writing, or reading.

Some learning disabilities will cause children to display issues understanding words or grasping concepts. Your child may find it hard to understand language, process written words, or form letters. Other students may show difficulty grasping math concepts or solving simple arithmetic problems.

While some students try to go unnoticed, others may act out in school settings or social situations. Children with undiagnosed learning disabilities often become the class clown. They may be defiant or act as though they don't care about school to draw attention away from their deficits.

Children with learning disabilities may have a tendency to become extremely distraught by changes in their routine or schedule. Unexpected change or transitions might lead your child to panic. Once a child with a learning disability finds comfort in their current situation, it can be very difficult for them to process any changes that may come along.

Dr. Bradley advises that if your child is frequently sick or comes down with physical symptoms out of nowhere, it may be due to an underlying learning disabilities. Since going to school can be stressful and frustrating, uneasy feelings can lead to physical symptoms. These commonly include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, head pain, and diarrhea.

When children struggle with learning disabilities, refusal to do homework or other school-related tasks may help them deal with these issues. Procrastination is common among struggling students because it's easier to avoid than to risk failing, Dr. Bradley explains.

The longer students struggle with undiagnosed learning disabilities, the more likely they are to experience anxiety and depression. As students try to find success among the constant pressure to do better than they can, failing to live up to adult expectations can be very upsetting. Dr. Bradley describes "Monday Syndrome" as "anxiety or depression that appears or worsens with school onset, especially after weekends or breaks."