Difference between slow learner and learning disabled

A slow learner is a child with below average intelligence, whose thinking skills have developed significantly more slowly than the norm for his/her age. This child will go through the same basic developmental stages as other children, but will do so at a significantly slower rate.

On the other hand, a child with specific learning disability, is one with average or above average intelligence, who has difficulties in specific areas which make learning very difficult. There is a discrepancy between the child's potential and actual achievement.

Characteristics of a Slow Learner

1. Developmental
-- may have immature language patterns or speech problems

2. Social
-- poor judgement, immature social behaviour, prefers company of younger children

3. Personal
-- frustration, aggression, anxiety

4. Academic
-- may show proficiency with particular tasks rather than a subject areas, poor memory, difficulties understanding several steps in a task

5. Learning
-- needs to have new information linked to old, difficulties transferring information learned in one situation to other situations.

Characteristics of Learning Disabled

1. Academic
-- reading -- confuses similar words and letters, loses place, repeats words, does not read fluently, does not like to read

-- spelling -- uses incorrect order of letters in words, has difficulty of associating sound and symbol of letters, reverses letters

-- mathematics -- has difficulty associating number with symbol, cannot remember number facts, confuses columns and spacing, has difficulties with statement problems, has difficulty comprehending math concepts

2. Physical
-- perceptual motor difficulties
-- visual perception difficulties
-- poor visual decoding
-- general coordination deficits (balance, eye -- hand)
-- poor auditory memory (difficulty following sequence of directions)
-- attention deficit
-- mixed dominance (hand, foot, eye)
-- lack of adequate eye movement control

3. Psychological
-- emotional instability (violent reactions)
-- difficulty learning by usual methods
-- low social acceptance (disturbed peer relations)
-- low self-concept/self-esteem
-- general disorganization (time and actions)

4. Social/emotional/behavioural
-- hyperactivity (gross, noisy, constant movements)
-- hypo activity (quiet, nervous, fidgety)
-- impulsivity
-- poor concentration span (distractibility)
-- low frustration tolerance
-- emotional highs and lows