Center for Learning and Learning Disorders
The Centre for Learning and Learning Disorders is a facility of the Institute of Psychology at the UMIT and is supported by the Tyrolean Hospitals GmbH (Tirol Kliniken GmbH).
Learning disorders are very common and affect approximately 5% of primary school children. In other words, in every school class 1 or 2 children have a learning disorder. Untreated learning disorders persist until adulthood and can be a huge burden for those affected as well as for their families.
Learning disorders are a group of very diverse difficulties that children may have during the acquisition of scholastic skills. The most common learning disorders are a disorder of reading and spelling (also called dyslexia) and a disorder of arithmetic processing (also called dyscalculia). The Centre for Learning and Learning Disorders is a teaching and research institution. Psychology students are - under the close supervision of the director of the center - actively involved in the activities of the center (the diagnosis and treatment of learning disorders). The director of the center (Dr. Silvia Pixner) is a certified clinical and health psychologist and a renowned expert in learning disorders.
Target group
The main target groups of the Centre for Learning and Learning Disorders are children (but also adolescents and adults) with developmental learning disorders, such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, and attention deficit disorders (incl. attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Other target groups are children, adolescents and adults with acquired learning disorders that occur as a consequence or side effect of neurological and/or psychiatric disorders. A third target group consists of kindergarten and preschool children without diagnosed learning disorders. For this group preventive measures and early diagnoses of learning disorders are offered in order to implement early support programs.
Our services (diagnosis and treatment) are not a substitute for occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy or psychotherapy. Our services are not designed as private tutoring, but are aimed exclusively at children and adolescents with specific learning disorders.