• Group of developmental disorders
• Significant unexpected, specific and persistent difficulties in the acquisition and use of reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia) or mathematical (dyscalculia) abilities, 
• despite conventional instruction, normal intelligence, proper motivation and adequate socio-cultural opportunity 
• The child with SpLD is one who does not meet expectations for academic performance in school but has intelligence in the normal range
• “a severe discrepancy between achievement  and intellectual ability in one or more of the following areas: 
  1. Oral expression 
  2. Listening comprehension
  3. Written expression
  4. Basic reading skill
  5. Reading comprehension
  6. Mathematical calculations
  7. Mathematical reasoning”

How does SpLD present?

• Failure to achieve school grades commensurate with intelligence
• Repeated spelling mistakes, untidy / illegible handwriting, poor sequencing, inability to perform simple mathematical calculations 
• School failure / under-achievement
• Adverse impact on self-image, relationships
• If undetected: school drop-outs and even anti-social elements

Remedial Education:

• Cornerstone of treatment of SpLD 
• Should ideally begin early, when child in primary school
• Special Educator formulates Individual Education Program (IEP) 
• Hourly sessions twice / thrice wkly for few yrs

Role of Provisions:

• SpLD distorts scores causing them to be too low
• Provisions formulated to help SpLD children continue in regular mainstream school
• Provisions function as ‘corrective lens’: distorted array of observed scores back to where they ought to be
• Provisions serve to “level the play field“: academic performance now commensurate with intellectual ability 

Statistics:

Specific Learning disability

World – 1 out of 10 people suffers from some kind of learning disability

India – 3-10% of the general population