8 Signs of Learning Disabilities

Parents can help catch learning disabilities in their children if they're aware of what signs to look for. If your child was born premature, you have a family history of learning disabilities or your child has frequent ear infections, your child may be at higher risk, says Cheryl Weinstein, a clinical neuropsychologist. "It's important to get to children early," Weinstein says. "Parents are often hesitant to see a professional but these early interventions can really help."

If your child is continuously having trouble putting words together, discriminating between sounds, articulating words or if she does not want to speak, she may be showing signs of a learning disability or hearing loss. Observe your child as early as 2-years-old to see if she can say names of colors or string words together. If your 3-year-old is only using single words, you may want to consult an expert. "Don't be embarrassed, it's better to hear your child is fine than to miss a problem," Weinstein says.

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Delayed motor skill development, such as poor eye tracking, sitting, crawling and walking skills, could be signs of learning disabilities. Typically children sit at about 6 months and walk at 8 to 18 months. They can cut with scissors between 4 and 6 years old, and they should be able to tie their shoes and hold a pencil properly between 6 and 8 years old. It's also possible they're delayed in one area and on target in another. "There are children who can talk at 12 months but can't walk until 18 months," Weinstein says. "If that child isn't talking or [is] having trouble walking by 18 months, you want to look at that more closely."

Many children have trouble focusing, so it's important to distinguish between normal behavior and an unusual inability to pay attention. Attention variability is normal for children as old as 5, but if by age 7 your child can't sit still for 20 minutes; is constantly moving from one activity to another; struggles with reading, math or other subjects; and seems more accident-prone than is typical, it may be worth it to see an expert, Weinstein says. There are great techniques available to hone your child's attention if these problems are identified early.

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If it seems your child can't understand the expressions on your face or read the social cues of her peers, she may have a non-verbal learning problem such as Asperger's syndrome or a visual-spatial learning disorder. She may not be able to put blocks together or complete puzzles because she can't organize the information. "A face is a complex visual stimulus," Weinstein says. "If they can't read your cues or interpret if a voice is happy or sad, you may want to talk to an expert."

Watch your child with other children and see if he interacts with them or participates in parallel play (plays alongside others but not with them). Is he looking at or mimicking other children or is he just sitting by himself? By the time your child is 2 or 3, he should be able to mimic others. If you're vacuuming, he may copy you, for example. If it seems your child is not interested in others and is retreating inward, consult someone; he may have a non-verbal learning disorder.

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A child who has an unusually hard time coping with new experiences and becomes physically agitated by change may have a learning disability. Rigidity and stubbornness in children is normal, but if your child has fits at the smallest changes in her routine and always wants to do things her way — combined with problems with language, paying attention or understanding others — there may be cause for concern, Weinstein says.

Children often have trouble speaking clearly for a variety of reasons: they may be too excited to get the words out or just have trouble with specific words. But if your child is always stuttering or really struggling to produce speech and his motor skills aren't developing normally by the time he's school age, it may help to consult with a speech therapist.

If your child has passed a major developmental milestone, such as potty training or learning the alphabet, then suddenly and unexpectedly loses the skill, it may be due to a significant learning issue. You should definitely talk to your doctor if this happens, Weinstein says.