Our local school asked to test my child for the presence of a learning disability. The teacher said they would be looking for problems such as dyslexia, dygraphia, and dyscalcula. What are these?

Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalcula are all types of learning disabilities.

Dyslexia is also known as “specific reading disability” and is characterized by difficulties in reading single words, sometimes because there is a problem relating the sound of a letter to the written letter character. There are at least 4 variant types of dyslexia.

Dysgraphia is a writing disability that is often related to difficulties in the ability to sequence. It is common for children with dysgraphia to have problems with copying work. These children also frequently have difficulties with spelling and punctuation.

Dyscalculia is an arithmetic disability related to problems with visualization, spatial orientation, symbols and attention to details. There are at least 4 variant types of dyscalculia.

For more information on any of these types, contact the Missouri Developmental Disabilities Resource Center at 800-444-0821.