Specific learning disorder among primary school children of Sarai Alamgir

Objective: To examine the frequency of specific learning disorder among primary school children. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted from January to July 2018 in Sarai Alamgir, Gujrat, Pakistan, and comprised children studying in 3rd and 4th grades of six local public and private primary schools. Data was collected using structured clinical diagnostic interviews based on the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Data was analysed using SPSS 16. Results: Of the 837 subjects, 413(49.3%) were from private schools and 424(50.7%) from public schools. A total of 174(20.7%) children were found vulnerable to specific learning disorders, while 13(7.5%) of them were diagnosed as suffering from different specific learning disorders. Of these 13 subjects, 1(7.7%) child had reading impairment, 3(23.1%) had mathematics impairment, 4(30.8%) had multiple impairment in mathematics and writing, 1(7.7%) had multiple impairment in mathematics and reading, 1(7.7%) had multiple impairment in reading and writing, and 3(23.1%) had multiple impairment in mathematics, reading and writing. Conclusion: Specific learning disorder was found to be prevailing in public and private school children.