How do you identify learning disability in your child?

Learning disability doesn’t get the same attention as behavioural disorders or neurodivergence because it tends to be more subtle and is often taken for a child being lazy or difficult.

“Stigma, underachievement and misunderstanding of learning disability continue to be stubborn barriers for parents and children to overcome. If learning disability is left unaddressed, millions of individuals risk being left behind, burdened by low self-esteem, subjected to low expectations, and diminished in their ability to pursue their dreams.”

James H. Wendorf, executive director, National Center for Learning Disability

For me, this quote defines in the clearest terms the effects of not a learning disability, but people’s response to it. 

In previous editions of First Steps, I have written about neurodivergence and behavioural disorders, among other topics. These “more serious” …