You are a clinical psychologist and you have recently diagnosed Jeremy, an 8-year-old boy, with a learning disorder. Jeremy's parents are worried about what this will mean for Jeremy as he goes through school, as well as when he is an adult. What would you tell Jeremy's parents about the short- and long-term prognosis for children with specific learning disorders?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Poor reading comprehension and poor spelling and written work. They may be able to read and pronounce the first part of a word correctly but then guess the rest of the word. As they struggle with these difficulties throughout elementary school, being fearful of or refusing to read aloud is common. By adolescence through to adulthood, these patterns often shift from basic coding difficulties to marked problems in reading comprehension and written expression, including poor spelling and poor mathematical problem solving. Over time, teens and adults learn to manage these difficulties to the best of their ability, but may avoid situations that require reading, writing, or numerical ability. Thus, over the life span SLD is associated with many functional consequences, such as lower academic achievement, higher school dropout rates, poor overall mental health and well-being, and lower employment and income (APA, 2013).