Specific Learning Disorder Assessment
Melbourne
Comprehensive Specific Learning Disorder Assessment by Clinical Psychologists in Melbourne.
What is a Specific
Learning Disorder?
An individual may be diagnosed with a Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) when they exhibit considerable difficulty in one or more cornerstone academic skills (i.e., reading, writing, mathematics), but show an otherwise normal or above-average academic ability (APA, 2013).
Specific Learning Disorders are neuro-developmental, meaning they are an impairment the individual is either born with or develops early on in life (Thapar et al., 2017). They are not the result of a lack of educational opportunities or acute environmental factors.
Types of Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)
Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs) are categorised into three broad groups; difficulties with reading, written expression (including spelling) and mathematics.
Reading
Word Reading Accuracy
- Reading words aloud incorrectly
- Often guesses words
- Finds it difficult to sound out words
Reading Rate Fluency
- Reading slowly, effortfully
- Often hesitates with words
Reading Comprehension
- May not understand the content of what is read
- May struggle with the meaning of texts
- Difficulty “reading between the lines” of texts
Written Expression
Spelling Accuracy
- Difficulty spelling words
- May add, omit or substitute letters, vowels, or consonants.
Grammar and Punctuation Accuracy
- May make many grammatical and punctuation errors that are not inline with the expected ability for their age.
Clarity or Organization of Written Expression
- May struggle to form coherent paragraphs
- May easily express ideas when talking but find it hard to express the same ideas through writing.
Mathematics
Number Sense
- May have trouble understanding numbers in terms of their magnitude and relationships.
Memorization of Arithmetic Facts
- Might use fingers to add and subtract single digit numbers rather than recalling the result from memory.
Accurate or Fluent Calculation
- May not be able to perform basic calculations whilst other peers can.
Accurate Math Reasoning
- Might find it hard or impossible to solve even basic quantitative problems.
- May not be able to apply basic mathematical concepts to everyday life.
SLD Prevalence and Comorbidity Data
In Australia, one in ten people have a learning disability (including Dyslexia, Dysgraphia or Dyscalculia).
Recent evidence population research suggests reading and math related Specific Learning Disorders co-occur in 40 – 60% of all cases (Willcutt et al., 2019).
Compared to those who do not have a Specific Learning Disorder, those who do are also more likely to have ADHD, a Developmental Coordination Disorder, or an Anxiety Disorder (Margari et al., 2013).
Specific Learning Disorder Assessment
Assessment of a Specific Learning Disorder primarily involves administration of standardised cognitive and academic tests, such as the WISC-V and the WIAT-III.
It is also important to gather information about the child’s schooling, home life and mental health to ensure that any significant difficulty identified on the assessment is not due to other factors. Medical examination by a GP or Paediatrician may also be necessary to ensure the learning difficulty does not have a physical cause.
Once all this information is collected, we will provide you with a comprehensive report including diagnostic impressions and recommendations.
Differential Diagnosis
Since comorbidity between SLD and other neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism and ADHD is quite high, assessment often involves screening for these diagnoses in addition to the core academic achievement tests. Further, at Social Skills Melbourne, we offer a range of cognitive and neurodevelopmental assessments for children and adolescents.
Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and
Dyscalculia
Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) were historically referred as “Dyslexia”, “Dysgraphia” and “Dyscalculia”. Whilst these terms are still in use, clinical diagnosis of a SLD goes beyond these terms and specifies the exact area of difficulty that the client experiences.
Book an SLD Assessment Today
We routinely assess and diagnose SLD and other neuro-developmental disorders in young people aged 6 – 18 years. If you are interested in an SLD assessment for your child/adolescent, contact us today and we will speak with you as soon as possible.
References
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition-Text Revision. (DSM-5-TR) American Psychiatric Association Publishing. 2013
Health Direct (accessed 14/03/2026). https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/learning-disabilities
Margari, L., Buttiglione, M., Craig, F., Cristella, A., de Giambattista, C., Matera, E., … & Simone, M. (2013). Neuropsychopathological comorbidities in learning disorders. BMC neurology, 13(1), 198.
Thapar, A., Cooper, M., & Rutter, M. (2017). Neurodevelopmental disorders. The Lancet Psychiatry, 4(4), 339-346.
Willcutt, E. G., McGrath, L. M., Pennington, B. F., Keenan, J. M., DeFries, J. C., Olson, R. K., & Wadsworth, S. J. (2019). Understanding comorbidity between specific learning disabilities. New directions for child and adolescent development, 2019(165), 91-109.