Learning disabilities are characterized by inadequate development of specific academic, language, and speech skills. They include reading disability (dyslexia), mathematics disability (dyscalculia) and writing disability (dysgraphia).  The course provides an understanding of these different disorders with reference to:

- Main cognitive models of the disturbances;

- Applicability of models developed for the English language to the description of the disturbances in Italian (Anglocentrism)

- Main diagnostic instruments for the analysis of the dyslexic and dysgraphic disturbances in Italian;

- Case examples;

- Rehabilitative experiences.

The course aims to provide basic information on the nature of the learning disturbances of written language (dyslexia and dysgraphia).  Furthermore, it aims to provide basic competence on the use of diagnostic instruments and rehabilitative techniques on these disturbances.  The course will focus on the analysis of the learning disturbances of written languages in Italian. The main models will be illustrated.  Studies on English-speaking children will be presented as well as recent studies which compare languages with different degree of orthographic complexity. 

The student will acquire basic knowledge on the characteristics of learning disturbances of written language (dyslexia and dysgraphia).  In particular, the student will acquire information of the differentiation between disturbances in irregular (such as English) and regular (such Italian) orthographies.