“Everything I say is going in one ear and out the other!”

“You just did the exact opposite of what I just told you to do!”

“If I have to tell you one more time… ”

These are just a few of the phrases that we sometimes hear yelled out during sports practices.  They are the sentiments of coaches who, at their wit’s end, are trying to figure out why they can’t seem to get through to some players.

But what many people don’t realize is that some of the behaviors that seem to drive most coaches crazy may actually be signs of learning disabilities, or LDs. Since October is National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, this article will hopefully shed light on how sports participation can play a role in disability detection.

It is not uncommon for some student-athletes to be diagnosed with an LD, or even a variety of LDs.  As we learn more and more about the different types of learning challenges and the wide spectrum of learning styles that exist within today’s student population, it is important to consider how such challenges might surface in your student-athlete’s sport.

There is no exact science to diagnosing an LD.

Many parents of students with learning disabilities first learn of concerns about LDs as a result of low standardized test scores. Some parents receive letters of concern from teachers or counselors who notice recurring struggles in the classroom. They will often suggest seeking help from a psychologist or learning specialist to further explore the possibility of an LD. This can happen as early as kindergarten or elementary school, but sometimes students remain undiagnosed well into high school. Worse, some students who actually have LDs remain undiagnosed and never get the help they need.

Coaches notice patterns  

However, participation in sports, especially at the high school level, where the amount of practice time increases, places student-athletes in situations where coaches are often the ones to notice distinct patterns or behaviors usually present with an LD.

A coach may tell you that your child has a difficult time following basic instructions.  Or they may have noticed that your child repeatedly does the opposite of what he or she tells the team to do.  While these are not absolute indicators of learning disabilities, they can certainly ignite concerns about how your child is functioning mentally or cognitively.

One football coach that I know kept noticing that one of his players struggled repeatedly with basic formations and calls on the field. He had been wondering why this player just couldn’t seem to do what he asked him to do.  He just kept making mistakes, play after play after play.

After much frustration, the coach investigated a bit further. What was the root of the problem?

It just so happened that the player had an auditory processing disorder and was unable to process exhaustive amounts of information. He also had a hard time following spoken directions due to this LD.

Auditory processing disorders can also make it difficult to tell the difference between similar-sounding words, which had been a major problem.  For instance, “attack” sounded like “drop back” – but two totally different commands on the field!

The solution?  Keeping instructions to a minimum of one or two sentences.  Basically, the coach had to remember not to inundate that player with lots of verbal information. He needed to hear just a few cues and he was good to go! 

This is just one case where a coach was able to make a few adjustments and the student-athlete benefitted from the adjustments.

Signs to look for

When student-athletes continue to exhibit the following behaviors, traits or tendencies, it might be time to seek help from an expert in the field of education and learning disabilities. 

• Consistently does the opposite of what coach says to do  
• Demonstrates that he/she has a high level of frustration
• Can’t seem to follow basic instructions
• Trouble reading or comprehending plays
• Delayed reactions
• Does not seem to be listening or acts distracted, lacks focus

These behaviors, of course, will not always mean that a learning disability is present. However, it might be worth looking into to see why they continue to surface.

Until next time,

Your All-Pro Team Mom