Could strange behavior be a sign of a teenage mental disorder or learning disability? What you may not know is that teenagers who struggle with a learning disability are more often those that are smart, competent, and creative, but are actually dealing with issues that may be neurological, emotional, or behavioral. These issues can affect their functioning in subjects such as math or reading, and even their social behavior. In fact your teenager may excel in one subject but function less than average in another. This can become quite confusing for a pupil’s teacher or a teen’s parent. Teachers or parents can have difficulty comprehending why the troubled teen may be excelling in one subject but struggling with another. In cases such as these, it’s vital that the learning disability an adolescent may have is recognized. Recognizing a learning disability
Actually, it’s even more vital to be able to recognize a learning disability as it is being manifested in your child as he/she is developing in elementary or middle school in order to address the issue as soon as possible. But the truth of the matter is that this is not usually how a learning disability is recognized. It can go overlooked for several years before it is given due recognition. The problem with this is that the learning disability’s effects on the child can escalate with time, especially as he/she goes on into adolescence.
How a learning disability may affect your teen
When your child reaches high school, a learning disability may cause him to feel upset and aggravated. This may lead to troublesome behavior. The growth of the abilities needed for the demanding levels in high school may have not been nurtured due to his/her learning disability and because of this the teenager’s self-esteem can become distinctly affected. It’s important to note that teenagers with learning disabilities may be just as smart as other teens, but the neurological, emotional, or behavioral matters that concern them, call for proper attention in order for the teen to function at his/her true best.
Possible learning disabilities
There are a number of possible learning disabilities your teen may be struggling with: - Dyscalculia—a disability concerning math skills
- Dyslexia—a disability concerning reading skills
- Dysgraphia—a disability concerning writing skills
- Developmental expressive language disorder
- Developmental articulation disorder
- Developmental receptive disorder
- Disorders involving motor skills
One must also note that Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is often diagnosed in teens with learning disabilities. It has been observed that half of the teens who have been recognized to commit crimes actually suffer from learning disabilities which have not been given proper attention. |
