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    Disabilities to learning

    Synopsis

    There are many associated features of specific LD, or SLD, that are specific to the Indian context. These include the fact that bi- and multilingualism is a common occurrence, classroom conditions are far from ideal, and socioeconomic factors play a more significant role.

    The definition of learning disability (LD) issued by the National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities in 1981 is the definition schools and Special Educational Needs Coordinators in India refer to: LD is a general term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning or mathematical abilities.

    There are many associated features of specific LD, or SLD, that are specific to the Indian context. These include the fact that bi- and multilingualism is a common occurrence, classroom conditions are far from ideal, and socioeconomic factors play a more significant role. Various environmental factors are associated with SLD, such as poverty, lack of literary resources in the home environment, lack of access to preschool instruction, parental illiteracy, overcrowded classrooms and poor instruction....

    In India, the magnitude of the problem as well as the prevalence have not been fully understood. The incidence of LD in schoolchildren varies from 9% to 39%.... A prevalence study of SLDs among primary schoolchildren in a south Indian city reported it at 15.17%, with 11.2% of dyslexia, 12.5% of dysgraphia, and 10.5% of dyscalculia also reported from the same study.

    From 'Review on Learning Disability in India and Abroad', Indian Journal of Research

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