Most commonly, either a parent or teacher first suspects a learning difficulty when a child is in the early years of primary school. However, there may be some signs of difficulty much earlier in development, especially if the learning disorder is related to language and communication difficulties. Children are expected to reach certain milestones of development such as when they begin to crawl, walk and talk. The first sign of a learning disorder may be noticed by observing delays in the child’s skill development around language, attention and learning in the early years. For example, children may show difficulties in understanding and following directions, or may have a short attention span or memory problems.
Learning disorders are not as obvious as physical disabilities. Individuals with learning disorders can become very good at covering up their difficulties so others do not notice. As a result, children with learning disorders may not be seen to be struggling until they have completed their first few years of school. By this time it is likely that they will have fallen significantly behind in their learning. Therefore, it is important if parents or teachers suspect that a child is experiencing difficulties in learning that the child is referred for detailed assessment earlier rather than later.
Identifying specific learning disorders in adults can be difficult, as individuals may display a wide range of learning and performance characteristics and have by then developed strategies for managing or covering up their difficulties. Adults with specific learning disorders are often unlikely to seek help themselves; instead concerns may arise as a result of a vocational assessment or other form of language-based evaluation, or finding an inability to read or write adequately for employment.