Bermuda Parent Bermuda Parent Spring 2016 | Page 20

big kids
BY ALICIA RESNIK
Learning
Differently
“D
o we believe and con-
stantly insist that co-
operation among the
peoples of the Every
child struggles in school from time to
time. If you notice persistent issues in a
certain area of learning, it may indicate
that your child has a learning disorder.
The term “learning disorder” is used to
describe a variety of issues that interfere
with the learning process. Having an
issue doesn’t mean your child is lazy or
lacks intelligence or motivation. The
brains of children with learning issues
are just “wired” differently. This differ-
ence affects learning new skills, and
how information is received, processed
and used. The most common types of
learning challenges involve problems
with reading, writing, math, reasoning,
listening, and speaking
Left undiagnosed and unsup-
ported, learning challenges will impact
your child’s life beyond the classroom.
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The following is an overview of some
common learning issue.
Auditory Processing Disorder
(APD)
Auditory Processing Disorder is a condi-
tion that makes it hard for children to
recognize subtle differences between
sounds in words. The challenge of APD
is understanding the sounds of spoken
language not the meaning of what’s
being said. To a child with APD “tell me
how a chair and a couch are alike” may
sound like “tell me how a cow and a
hair are alike.”
Children with APD usually have
normal hearing - the challenge is in
understanding what they hear. For
them, the virtually seamless process of
hearing, is scrambled. Children with