Understanding Learning Disorders in the Classroom

Understanding

17 June

Written By Alyssa Nikolakopoulos - Guest author

A specific learning disorder (SLD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects a student’s acquisition of reading, writing, or mathematical skills despite age-appropriate intelligence, appropriate instruction, and genuine effort. SLDs are common, identifiable, and responsive to evidence-based teaching and appropriate support. Early recognition can significantly improve both academic and emotional outcomes.

Around 1 in 10 Australian children is estimated to have a specific learning disorder, although many remain undiagnosed or unidentified until later schooling.
SLDs commonly co-occur with ADHD, autism, and anxiety, and may be masked by these other presentations.
Without identification, students are often told to “try harder,” which can significantly affect confidence over time.

SLDs can affect accuracy, fluency, and pace of learning, often increasing cognitive load in classroom tasks. This can lead to fatigue, avoidance, and reduced participation even when understanding is intact.

The Three Main Types

Dyslexia: reading and spelling

Slow, effortful reading, especially aloud
Persistent spelling errors despite repeated correction
Difficulty rhyming, blending sounds, or recognising sight words, particularly in younger students

Dysgraphia: written expression

Oral language is often stronger than written work
Handwriting is effortful, slow, or fatiguing and may not improve significantly with practice alone
Difficulty organising ideas on the page, particularly in extended writing tasks

Dyscalculia: mathematics

Difficulty developing number sense, place value understanding, or basic fact recall
Difficulty with mathematical reasoning and word problems
Strong avoidance or anxiety around maths tasks
Ongoing difficulty despite targeted instruction or intervention

What SLDs Are Not

SLDs are not caused by lack of effort, low intelligence, poor parenting, or inadequate teaching. Students with SLDs are often working significantly harder than their peers while achieving less efficient outcomes. Over time, this mismatch can significantly impact confidence, motivation, and engagement with learning.

Common Classroom Signs by Stage

Early primary (Prep–Year 2)

Slow letter-sound development
Difficulty with rhyming or blending sounds
Avoidance of writing or reading aloud
Number reversals beyond expected developmental stage

Mid to late primary (Year 3–6)

Reading below expected year level
Persistent spelling errors despite instruction
Strong verbal responses but weaker written output
Maths anxiety, calculation errors, and difficulty with multi-step problems

Secondary

Slower reading, particularly of academic texts
Difficulty with essay structure and extended writing
Avoidance, frustration, or disengagement in affected subjects

Classroom Strategies

Most students benefit from structured, explicit, and low-load support.

Pre-teach key vocabulary and concepts before lessons
Provide access to audiobooks, text-to-speech, and speech-to-text tools
Accept scribed, typed, or oral responses where appropriate
Use multi-sensory teaching approaches
Break complex tasks into smaller, sequenced steps with worked examples
Provide additional time for reading- and writing-heavy tasks
Separate assessment of content from spelling and mechanics where appropriate

Tiered Support Approach

Support is most effective when it is layered rather than relying on a single strategy. Together, these layers ensure students can access learning, build skills, and demonstrate knowledge in ways that are appropriate to their needs.

Universal strategies (whole-class):

Inclusive teaching that supports all students, such as clear instructions, modelling examples, breaking tasks into steps, and using varied visual and verbal approaches.

Targeted intervention (small group):

Focused teaching for specific skill gaps (e.g. reading, spelling, maths) delivered explicitly and at a slower, more supported pace.

Individual adjustments:

Personalised supports based on need, such as extra time, reduced writing load, assistive technology, or alternative ways of showing understanding.

Strengths-Based practice

Students with specific learning disorders are often capable, motivated learners whose difficulties are not immediately visible. Many demonstrate strong verbal reasoning, creativity, problem-solving skills, or oral expression. Identifying and supporting these strengths is essential for engagement, confidence, and long-term learning outcomes. Identification is not about labelling, it is about access. With appropriate, well-targeted adjustments and evidence-based teaching strategies, students with SLDs can meaningfully participate in learning and demonstrate their abilities.

Pathway to Assessment

A psychologist can complete a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment, which typically includes:

Cognitive testing (e.g. WISC-V or WPPSI-IV)
Academic achievement testing (e.g. WIAT-III)
Clinical interview and developmental history

This combination is considered best practice for diagnosing a specific learning disorder in line with DSM-5-TR criteria. Assessment reports can support NCCD adjustments, school-based intervention planning, and where appropriate, additional funding or support pathways.