Specific learning disability

According to the DSM-5 (2014):

Specific Learning Disorders are all impairments that occur in either reading, writing and/or numeracy. Such difficulties may also be evidenced by the presence of at least one of the following symptoms that have persisted for at least 6 months, despite interventions targeting these difficulties:

Inaccurate or slow and effortful word reading (e.g., reads single words aloud incorrectly or slowly and hesitantly, frequently guesses at words, difficulty expressing words well).

1. Difficulty understanding the meaning of what he/she reads (e.g., can read a text accurately but does not understand the sentence, relationships, inferences or deeper meaning of what he/she reads).
2. Spelling difficulties (e.g. may add, omit or substitute vowels or consonants).
3. Difficulties with written expression (e.g., makes multiple grammatical or punctuation errors in a sentence; poorly organised paragraph; unclear written expression of ideas).
4. Difficulties in mastering number sense, number facts or calculation (e.g., poor understanding of numbers, their magnitude and relationships; counts on fingers to add single digit numbers rather than remembering the mathematical operation as peers do; gets lost in arithmetic calculation and may interchange procedures).
5. Difficulties with mathematical reasoning (e.g., has great difficulty in applying mathematical concepts, facts or operations to solve quantitative problems).

With reading difficulties (dyslexia):

Dyslexia is an alternative term used to refer to a pattern of learning difficulties characterised by problems with accurate or fluent word recognition, poor spelling and poor spelling skills.

1. Word reading accuracy
2. Reading speed or fluency
3. Reading comprehension

With difficulty in written expression (dysgraphia):

1. Spelling correction.
2. Correctness of grammar and punctuation.
3. Clarity or organisation of written expression

With mathematical difficulty (dyscalculia):

1. Number sense.
2. Memorisation of arithmetic operations
3. Correct or fluent calculation
4. Correct mathematical reasoning

> American Psychiatric Association (2014). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), 5th Ed. Barcelona: Masson.