Difference between SLD and Academic Difficulties
What is the difference between a specific learning disorder (SLD) and difficulties in academic learning?
SLDs are defined as specific because they affect a particular skill domain (reading/writing/calculation) without impacting general intellectual functioning.
The word disorder refers to the neurobiological origin of the different cognitive functioning and the different way of learning in these children.
The fact that the disorder is innate makes the performance resistant to change. Indeed, children with SLD, unlike those with simple learning difficulties, even when treated individually, tend to have performance below what is expected for their grade and age (Tressoldi, Vio, 2008).
Specific learning disorders are more widespread than one might think: in Italy, on average, 1 student out of 25 presents this type of disorder.
Academic Difficulties
The term academic learning difficulties refers instead to the presence of any other difficulty encountered by the student during their academic career, which does not have a neurobiological origin.
Academic learning difficulties, therefore, are not innate, but may be due to factors such as:
- disadvantaged sociocultural environment
- ineffective quality of the educational institution
- emotional-motivational factors of the subject
Learning difficulties are not persistent, meaning that if adequately treated with specific enhancement programs, significant improvements can be achieved.
Bibliographic sources used
- Stella G., Grandi L. (2016) Dyslexia and SLD. Understanding to Intervene. Giunti EDU
- Vio C., Tressoldi P.E. (2012) The Treatment of Specific Academic Learning Disorders. Erickson
