Terms, Definitions, and Characteristics  

	My son has difficulties learning, his teacher said she thinks he has learning disabilities and/or ADHD. What does this mean? What are learning disabilities and what is attention deficit?
Learning Disabilities are a variety of disorders in areas such as reading, writing, math, listening, speech, and at times even difficulties in social perception. The causes of learning disabilities are not connected with the environment but are actually are result of abnormal activity in certain areas of the brain. Today, there is also evidence of the specific areas that are affected. Together with this, the environment can lessen or strengthen the disabilities. The tendency today is to characterize each of the learning disabilities specifically.  Reading Disability - This means abnormal development in reading words and writing. Its basis is difficulties in spoken language, difficulty in distinguishing between sounds and difficulty in the ability to store and retrieve words properly. Difficulties in writing can be part of the reading problem or they can be derived also from abnormal motor development in which the child doesn't develop the ability to create the letters with the use of the handwriting system. In math, we're speaking about difficulties in retrieving data and calculations, which affects afterwards automatic use of basic mathematical functions. In this area there is also a problem of retrieval and storage, which is also related to language and spatial and visual perception. Around this cycle of learning disabilities in reading, writing, and math, there is also an array of disorders that explain them: attention disorders, perception disorders, memory, etc... Today the literature speaks also about associated difficulties in social communication, in other words, children that aren't successful in correctly analyzing social situations and their reactions in these situations are not effective. Regarding attention-deficit - this is a disorder in the psychiatric spectrum, a sort of umbrella disorder over all learning disabilities, in other words: there is a possibility of the presence of learning disabilities and ADHD together, but there are cases of learning disabilities without ADHD or ADHD without learning disabilities. The distinction is unequivocal with the passage of time. In other words, if we have evidence of abnormal development from a very young age, we can know that the child is in danger of developing a learning disability; however, when the difficulties arouse all of a sudden in first grade or in sixth grade, the diagnosis is made along the timeline.  It's important to diagnose, treatment of the root cause, the achievements themselves, and the learning skills and then to check again after a period of time. If the child didn't narrow the gap in basic skills, the likelihood is that something isn't normal.
	What's the difference between dyslexia and dysgraphia?
Dyslexia and dysgraphia are the most common types of learning disabilities. Learning disabilities are usually present at birth and affect learning throughout the lifetime. Dyslexia is a reading disability resulting in difficulty in acquiring age-appropriate reading, slow reading, disturbances and difficulties in reading comprehension. Some reading disabilities are caused by language difficulties, such as difficulty in phonological recognition, recognition of the basic sound units that comprise the language, difficulty naming, and difficulty in sentence structure. A recognizable delay and disabilities in language development predict, frequently, the development of dyslexia. Other difficulties in reading are caused by difficulty in processing spatial information, for example, identifying differences in directions and distinguishing between different shapes. Dysgraphia is a writing disability, which causes grapho-motor difficulties such as applying too much or too little pressure on the writing utensil, slow writing, many writing errors, incorrect phrasing of sentences, avoidance of writing or use of short answers in order to avoid extensive writing. The amount of content the student expresses in writing is usually less than the level of content he expresses orally, and this is because of great amount of effort that must be invested on the technical side of the writing and difficulty in phrasing. In many of the cases, the difficulties are caused by difficulties in fine motor skills (such as difficulty grasping the pencil), language difficulties (such as distinguishing between the sounds of the language and in connecting between the sound and the letter), difficulties in spatial perception (such as difficulty in distinguishing between letters), and/or difficulty in hand-eye coordination.
	My daughter is 11 years old and is in 4th grade. At the parent-teacher meeting, the teacher told me she thinks my daughter has a learning disability in the area of math and she called this "dyscalculia". I'd like to understand what dyscalculia is and how is a final diagnosis given?
Dyscalculia is a learning disability in the area of math, in other words: a recognizable difficulty in acquisition and use of fundamental math skills and in understanding them. A didactic evaluator who specializes in the area of math conducts an evaluation of the disorder.
	I was assessed during my studies in university as dyslexic. Presently, my wife is pregnant. Is there a chance that my child will be dyslexic too?
Currently, it's known that learning disabilities are likely to be passed on hereditarily in families, from parents to their children; therefore, it's important to be aware of this and if necessary to refer to the appropriate assessment.
	Is every delay in reading caused by dyslexia? When should a delay be a cause for worry?
A delay in acquiring reading skills can be caused by different reasons and isn't always dyslexia. For example, in certain cases the delay in reading is caused by late maturation. A child like this, if he will receive help in acquiring reading skills, he is likely to close the gap between him and his peers. In other cases, emotional reasons are likely the cause for the delay in acquiring reading skills. Therefore, before starting to classify the child and recommending an assessment, it's a good idea to consult with the class teacher and to give the child learning assistance. Frequently, a little help at the right time pulls the child out of the situation he got stuck in and he begins to benefit from the teaching in his class. A child who doesn't progress despite the help that he was given individually for a few months must be given a didactic assessment in order to clarify if he is in need of special instruction methods. Occasionally, a psychological assessment is also necessary in order to clarify if there are additional reasons for the learning difficulties.
	Is it possible to treat different learning disabilities through art therapy, movement therapy, music therapy, etc...?
Treatments of this type can help as part of a treatment program that would include remedial instruction as well. Currently, there are a wide variety of treatments available: music therapy, movement therapy, therapy with animals (such as therapeutic horse riding), art therapy and more. All of these are given by professionals who specialized in a certain type of therapy, and the matching of the therapy is made by focusing on one's emotional needs, one's mental state, and one's personality.
	I'm a law student and am beginning my fourth and last year. I was assessed as having learning disabilities already in my first years in school and therefore received leniencies and lots of help. Despite it all, I didn't solve the problem of my writing mistakes and therefore I'm turning to you. I'm looking for a teacher or a course so that I can overcome this barrier.
Writing mistakes can certainly be a serious nuisance.  If, in fact, you are interested in getting help from a remedial education instructor who will help you learn the basic spelling rules, you can refer to your local Nitzan branch and check the possibilities. Together with this, you can help yourself with spellchecker in the computer. Regarding the mistakes the computer doesn't notice, it's recommended to ask for help from a friend or staff member for a final check. Finally, if the problem isn't solved, we must remember that we are people and not everything can be fixed and it's a good idea to learn and accept ourselves despite our limitations.
	My daughter is in 6th grade. She was assessed and was found to have a learning disability. Both the assessment recommendations and the teacher recommend remedial instruction. Last year we gave her a private tutor who worked with her twice a week mainly on Hebrew and Math. I would like to understand what's the difference between remedial instruction and regular private tutoring lessons? What more, that I noticed that the prices for remedial instruction are higher than those for private tutoring lessons.
A central principle in remedial instruction is that in addition to learning the material, they teach the student how to learn and how to improve his abilities in verbal and written expression. The goal of remedial instruction is to help the student to improve those skills, which are weak for him, while at the same time relying on his strengths. A specialist teacher, usually from the area of special education together with specialization in the specific area of knowledge, gives remedial instruction. These teachers learned more years and have much experience and knowledge, and therefore the price they charge is higher.

What are the differences between didactic, psychological, and psycho-didactic assessments?

In a didactic assessment, different learning and thought functioning are examined (information processing, memory, attention, organization) and similarly, skills in reading, reading comprehension, and writing.

The purpose of the psychological assessment is to evaluate intellectual ability (I.Q.) and check the affects of emotional influences and/or cognitive on learning processes and functioning, in general.

The psycho-didactic assessment is an assessment that includes in it a portion of the didactic assessment and a portion of the psychological assessment and must be conducted by a psychologist who specializes in the area of learning disabilities.

How does one decide which assessment is needed? Is it always necessary to conduct both a psychological assessment and a didactic assessment when there's a suspicion of learning disabilities?

In fact, it's not always necessary to conduct both assessments when there's a suspicion of learning disabilities. In the majority of cases, it's recommended to begin by checking in the didactic area, except for a case in which there's no doubt that there are significant emotional influences. In a case where the findings of the didactic assessment suggest emotional factors interfering significantly in functioning, it's recommended understandably to include also a psychological assessment. It' important to note that in a psychological assessment a picture of the profile of intellectual functioning is formed and it's possible to see more clearly the areas of difficulty, however not less important, also the areas of strength, which will be used as a platform for helping in the areas of difficulty.

One of the purposes of conducting an assessment is providing modifications in ways of learning and testing. There are certain modifications that require conducting a psychological assessment as well. (according to the instructions of the director of the Ministry of Education).

There are certain types of memory. Short-term memory is immediate memory for topics that are occurring or are being learned currently. In order to receive an exact assessment in this topic it's recommended to conduct a full and detailed assessment.

For approximately a year and a half I've been learning a foreign language at a private learning center in a small group. My knowledge of the language at the beginning was practically nothing. Now, I'm fluent in vocabulary, ability to read and write, but my big problem is speaking. Will I be able to overcome the speaking problem, or do I need to look for something else?

From what you've written, it's not clear if you've been assessed at some point in the past. We advise you to conduct an assessment that will include a check of ability to learn this foreign language. On a treatment level, the best way is to practice a lot of speaking and being exposed to the language. It's advisable to make use of special teachers who learned remedial instruction methods in this language.

Are there children who are just a little bit slower and a little bit less intelligent cognitively than others? Could it be that in a group of children there is a percentage of the children who don't progress and don't understand like everyone else, even if you explain to them several times in different ways, and this is without any disability? Does every child who has difficulty with the learning material need to have an assessment or maybe he's just weak without any reason?

What you say is in fact so. Not every difficulty in learning is necessarily a disability and not every difficulty requires an assessment. We recommend an assessment in cases where there is a significant gap between performance in different academic subjects and/or in performance in general, or when the child doesn't take advantage of his potential, in other words, when there is a clear sense that the child is functioning at a significantly lower level than his abilities. In cases like these, we recommend to conduct an assessment in order to make a differential diagnosis if there is a learning disability and to recommend intervention methods.

Since my daughter, who is 9 years old, has had difficulty reading and writing, many different explanations have been suggested, for example: ADHD, learning disabilities, etc. After a long journey of investigating for two years between evaluations at different centers, neurologists, psychologists, etc., the conclusion was that she doesn't suffer from ADHD, but from a learning disability. The recommended treatment was to use personally suited learning strategies. My question is what learning strategies are available? Once the strategy is decided, will it be offered only privately? At the Nitzan Center? Is the school supposed to use learning strategies that are appropriate for her?

Based on your comments, it seems worthwhile to return to the evaluator who assessed your daughter in order for him to explain his recommendations. As a rule, with learning strategies, the intention is to learn ways to bypass the specific difficulties of your daughter. For this, you should go to a remedial education teacher who can help her acquire the strategies. Remedial education teachers can be found privately or at the Nitzan branch closet to your place of residence. The list of branches appears on Nitzan's website. According to the different issues the school must take into consideration, the school frequently assists in individually suited learning with small groups and even with individual remedial instruction. It's recommended to refer to the school counselor regarding this topic with the results of the assessment.

My son is eight and a half years old and is entering the 3rd grade. In the middle of 1st grade he began to have problems with reading when the assessor at Nitzan told me that the "Litph" learning method is not appropriate for him. He's already been treated for a year by a remedial education teacher and there is a big difference, but there are still words that he gets stuck/has trouble reading. There are times where he guesses or reads too fast and then makes mistakes, and the moment he slows down or concentrates more he reads the words well. Sometimes, he switches between letters. Is it a good idea to take him for an assessment once again at Nitzan? He took one a year and a half ago.

It's a good idea to consult with the remedial education teacher he works with. Has she run out of ideas, or does she think that the child needs more time? A repeat evaluation should be done if he's not progressing and is running in place.

I would like to know more about the phenomenon called "split attention".

This refers to the ability to divide one's attention and to react simultaneously to a number of different stimuli. Similarly, split attention is done automatically, unlike others who must focus on a particular subject and ignore other stimuli, which are irrelevant, at the same time.

My daughter is 16 years old, finished 11th grade, and began to have difficulty with her studies starting just last year. Until now, she didn't have a problem with her studies except for the project that was "tough". Is it reasonable to worry that she may have problems with memory or dyslexia?

Learning disabilities are revealed at different stages throughout the life cycle, such that even if your daughter hasn't been assessed until now, it's likely that an assessment is necessary in order to diagnose the specific difficulties and to help her. It recommended to consult with the school staff, for example: teachers, counselor, etc... The staff at Nitzan will gladly answer your questions by phone.

My son is eight and a half years old. From a very young age, he's avoided physical activity, doesn't participate at all in gym class at school, and similarly is easily stressed and insulted by teachers at school even when there isn't an apparent reason. He is very knowledgeable in English, but his grades do not reflect his knowledge. In class, it's difficult for him to concentrate. Is this a learning disability? ADHD? It's important to note that he is very intelligent for his age. Should he be taken for some sort of assessment, and if so, then which?

From your description, it's certainly likely that there is some sort of learning difficulty. It's important to note that at times there are learning difficulties or difficulties with attention span and concentration or sensual difficulties together with very high intellectual abilities. We recommend that you consult with an expert in the field of learning disabilities. At Nitzan, we offer consultation and guidance and when needed, assessments, and continued treatment. 

Is stress from being on time or taking a test considered a learning disability? When taking certain tests, I get very stressed and don't manage to answer all of the questions on the test because the moment I start a certain question, I'm anxious that I won't finish the other questions, and it turns out that I start questions then jump to others without finishing. How can I solve this problem?

Occasionally, not being on time, or slow functioning is caused by a learning disability who's source is in the mechanism that is the foundation of reading and/or writing and/or performing math problems. Slowness or confusion can result from difficulties in concentration. Sometimes, this can be a caused by emotional factors. In general, it's difficult to diagnose without an assessment. When one is assessed, if it is likely that the problem is caused by a disability, then accommodations can be received. One of the accommodations given is added time on exams. You can be in touch with us to consult regarding the necessity of an assessment.  

My nine-year-old son was recently assessed. Treatment recommendations were given. My question is what is the length of treatment necessary and is it possible to overcome the learning problems?

It's not possible to estimate the length of remedial instruction or treatment. Each case is individual. It should be noted that in order to achieve results, work with an expert in remedial instruction is necessary, twice a week without any extended breaks. Research literature claims that learning disabilities do not disappear however with the help of effective remedial instruction it's possible to learn to overcome the difficulties and to bypass the disability.