# Do I have a learning disorder?



## kagemitsu (May 15, 2011)

For as long as I can remember, studying has always been difficult for me. Through elementary and middle school I was a smart kid and rarely ever touched any book, and still got top grades. The troubles started when I entered high school, and smarts alone weren't enough. The moment school started requiring serious work, my grades dropped tremendously and I just barely managed to get through high school unscathed. 

It took me forever to finish college, and tomorrow I have my last exam. I've been studying the material for about a month, and if you ask me anything about the topic, my mind just goes blank and I don't even know where to start.

I don't feel stupid, it's just that I really can't manage to stay focused for extended periods of time on books (especially topics I couldn't care less about). I can manage a "burst" of like 40 mins, but then I find it hard to start again after taking a break, and my mind wanders... I do most of my studying in the morning, about 2-3 hours with a 10 mins break in between for some coffee. The afternoons are just impossible, even with all my good will. Too sleepy in the evening.

I've tried a number of studying methods, like underlining important things while I read, taking side notes, rewriting a summary of the paragraph, reading out loud, trying to remember things without the help of the book, writing flashcards, but to no avail.

The result of all that work is that for every topic I know more or less what we're talking about, as I can explain the thing in very broad terms, but I can't get into details for the life of me.

Do you think these might be symptoms of a learning disorder?


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## Raichu (Aug 24, 2012)

I've never been able to study for 40 minutes straight. Sometimes I can't even watch a tv show for 15 minutes. I'll pause to check PerC, and then to check Facebook, and then to play FreeCell, and then to get a snack. >.< I also did pretty poorly in school after about 4th grade. It was the same thing as you said-- I was fine when I could just rely on smarts, but once getting good grades actually required studying and doing homework, my grades suffered. A lot. And I do have ADHD, but no learning disorders.

Edit: I lied. I just remembered Auditory Processing Disorder is considered a learning disability. So nevermind.


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## Glenda Gnome Starr (May 12, 2011)

Forty minutes straight is a long time to study nonstop. I get distracted by facebook and the tv and per c and you name it, it distracts me. Every sound in the house distracts me. The thought of tea distracts me. It was a challenge last year when I was taking the master gardener class. The thing that helped me most to pass the test was to make up flash cards for myself and then quiz myself. If I got distracted, it didn't matter. I could just pick up from where I left off. But I see that you tried flash cards and they didn't work for you.
What subjects are you studying? There might be different techniques that would work better with those topics.
Anyway, I didn't know if you have a learning disability because you're distracted by all of that stuff.
I have auditory processing disorder and sensory processing disorder. I'd be happy to answer questions about these or to provide you with more information.
Good luck!


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## kagemitsu (May 15, 2011)

walking tourist said:


> Forty minutes straight is a long time to study nonstop. I get distracted by facebook and the tv and per c and you name it, it distracts me. Every sound in the house distracts me. The thought of tea distracts me. It was a challenge last year when I was taking the master gardener class. The thing that helped me most to pass the test was to make up flash cards for myself and then quiz myself. If I got distracted, it didn't matter. I could just pick up from where I left off. But I see that you tried flash cards and they didn't work for you.
> What subjects are you studying? There might be different techniques that would work better with those topics.
> Anyway, I didn't know if you have a learning disability because you're distracted by all of that stuff.
> I have auditory processing disorder and sensory processing disorder. I'd be happy to answer questions about these or to provide you with more information.
> Good luck!


What are those 2 problems about in specific? What does it feel like to have them? How do you cope and can you "heal"?


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## yesiknowbut (Oct 25, 2009)

I'm no expert. Diagnosis of these things is difficult, rather subjective, and requires expert analysis. If you think that this is interfering with your life to a significant extent, it is worth getting an opinion. Before that though it is worth thinking objectively if the subjects you have chosen are right for you, if you are eating well and sleeping enough, if you practice "study hygiene" and "sleep hygiene" (basically cut the distractions) and whether you'd be better off with really short bursts or longer ones to concentrate. Or whether you'd be better off deciding to excel in one or two subjects and concentrate your efforts there. Or whether you'd rather work in the open air/with people/in a field which does not require high academic achievement. I think a lot of clever people are not natural academics.

The thing that might have some resonance in your case is "working memory". I looked into it when concerned about my son who struggles to concentrate and hates schoolwork but is not stupid. But we decided in the end he would do better without a label.


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## Hurricane Matthew (Nov 9, 2012)

lol I don't think there is a learning disorder here. People struggle with studying all the time, usually out of poor studying technique than because of some learning disorder. Depending on your own personal learning styles and the subject it is, there would be different ways to study it; not everyone learns the same way as the next person so not everyone can study the same way, either. For example, there's verbal learners and visual learners. The verbal ones will get more out of reading and listening to lectures while the visual ones do better with lots of charts, images, graphs, maps and benefit from slideshow/powerpoint type lectures. There's various types of learning styles so it's a good idea to figure out the best way you learn and customize your studying from there. Work ethic is also important and it takes a level of self-discipline to do well with studying ((something that a lot of people struggling just don't understand for some reason, especially for the "smart" kids who never learn how to study properly)). Boredom is another factor. If the subject just isn't that interesting, it will be more difficult to study. Lifestyle is also really important. Having good nutrition, sufficient exercise and a full eight hours of sleep at night really helps focus and clear thinking abilities.

There's a lot of non-disorder reasons why people can't study and I think it's jumping the gun to go straight to assuming there's a learning disorder involved. Having disorders/disabilities is such a huge fad right now and it annoys me that people want to go straight to those things without really giving themselves an honest self-analysis about the situation.


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## haijakingu (Dec 24, 2012)

^That was enlightening. I think I need to have a little overhaul.


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## Planisphere (Apr 24, 2012)

I used to suffer from ADD, but it still seems like I have 'echoes' of it today. I'm predominantly an auditory learner, or so I believe; the classes I've done best in were those in which I could listen to a professor. However, my experiences in high school contradict this belief. If I read for about two or three hours straight, I can remember terminology when various terms are brought up in exams and the like. However, I only remember about half of the details I read - the rest is a 'generalized picture' in my head that comes out awkwardly whenever I try to explain it in words. I also tend to forget about half of the words in my vocabulary during a face-to-face conversation.

I do have to wonder if this could be tied into the Ne/Se functions. By definition, they're not very focused. One has to wonder what sort of effect that could have on learning. There are plenty of resources I should start reading on that very subject. Too bad I have a history report due today, or I would be browsing through them myself right now.

Does anyone here feel more comfortable when they don't do something all at once? I tend to divide my time evenly across the week, leaving plenty of time for recreation. If one fails to balance work and play, the consequences can be disastrous (I failed to do this last semester, and I failed every single class due in part to a poor sleeping schedule and a constant stress).


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## Raichu (Aug 24, 2012)

NovaStar said:


> Does anyone here feel more comfortable when they don't do something all at once? I tend to divide my time evenly across the week, leaving plenty of time for recreation. If one fails to balance work and play, the consequences can be disastrous (I failed to do this last semester, and I failed every single class due in part to a poor sleeping schedule and a constant stress).


My ratio of work to play is consistent throughout the week, if that's what you mean by "balanced." But if you mean that there's roughly the same amount of each, then... >.<


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## Ketran (Mar 5, 2013)

You might have ADHD or some other learning disorder, or you may have poor habits. One thing most people don't know about the human mind is that it benefits greatly from taking breaks. For example studies have shown that elite violin players don't practice any more than average violin players, but the elite violinists take breaks. lifehacker.com/5859758/learn-from-elites-consolidate-your-most-important-work-hours-into-distinct-periods However they take breaks to rest, and many take naps. You might be being counterproductive by drinking coffee. The coffee may also be making you tired in the afternoon.


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## LadyO.W.BernieBro (Sep 4, 2010)

Possibly. l just think there are different ways learning disorders can be managed.And so many have such similar traits that you might as well try a lot of different things.

A lot of these problems boil down to sensory input differences, an entire label is created fr the symptoms they cause but the root of the problem can sometimes be targeted easily.

l'm like you with reading in the middle of the day. l cannot do it. This is an inconveniece as a college student and l can't always study at my optimum hours of 7-9 pm xD

ln my case l have the ADHD label but l've noticed that weird things help. Tinted lenses have helped me, actually, the kind meant for dyslexia. The only way l can explain it is that it somehow filters out what l perceive as "noise'(which is usually a combination of many factors in my surroundings). This helps me read whenever l need to, the nighttime is probably relaxing for me because l perceive less chaos at night.

l have a few other weird tricks l use to get around things but for the most part, have been fine without medication for 10 yearYour post is really dead on @NovaStar 

l think some of it also boils down to applying what we learn to the present and concrete environment when it's mostly stored in a different realm of our minds for us xD

There's a retrieval issue...probably with ENxx and maybe even more likely introverts in general.


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## Bear987 (May 13, 2012)

From what you wrote, I reckon you have a hard time memorizing things. Keep in mind that memorizing is just one way of learning things. Being able to apply knowledge is another. Being able to use new knowledge to analyze even further is yet another. You write you didn't open any book early on in life: changing that might be too difficult a change for your brain to process.

Studying is mostly about study habits. Flash cards and underlining stuff are all ways to memorize things. If that's not your strength, don't use them. Instead, use methods that visualize in what way the different elements of the course material is related to each other. Draw Venn diagrams for instance, or make cause-and-effect's schemes. Also, instead of trying hard to learn things by heart in one go, keep circling back to what you've studied before. Talk out loud when you're studying - don't just think.

In any case, find out what type of learner you are - do a Kolb learning styles test - and adjust your study habits accordingly. Go with your strengths.


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## Red Panda (Aug 18, 2010)

sounds normal to me
40 mins is the usual maximum period that someone can study nonstop, that's why most classes are 40-45 mins 
and if you don't exactly love what you are studying ofc it becomes harder to focus, because you want to "escape"


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## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

@*kagemitsu*
Sounds more like ease of distractibility or you might value working in quiet areas with less sensory stimuli (e.g. free from bright lights, bright colours, clutter, noise, glare of books or from PC screens etc)... just a side note while I think of my own processes: you might benefit from taking the Irlen syndrome test online and checking to see if you might have dyslexic traits (me personally I have a terrible short term memory and an amazing long term memory that takes longer to learn things more thoroughly).


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