What is a Learning Disability?
A learning disability (LD) is a neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to receive, process, store and respond to information. The term learning disability is used to describe the seeming unexplained difficulty a person of at least average intelligence has in acquiring basic academic skills. These skills are essential for success at school and work, and for coping with life in general. LD is not a single disorder. It is a term that refers to a group of disorders. Learn more about learning disabilities.
Types of Learning Disabilities
Even though some three million school-age children are classified as having specific learning disabilities (LD), this category of special need is often widely misunderstood and is a term that refers to one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, and affects a person's ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.
Some common learning disabilities are those related to reading (dyslexia), math (dyscalculia), writing (dysgraphia), motor skills (dyspraxia), and information processing (Visual and Auditory Processing Disorders). For more information on these and other disabilities, visit our list of fact sheets.
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How Do I Know if My Child has a Learning Disability?
Download NCLD's LD Checklist, which is designed as a helpful guide (though not a tool) to pinpoint specific learning disabilities. The more characteristics you check, the more likely that the individual described is at risk for learning disabilities.
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Co-occurring Features / Characteristics
At times children with learning disabilities may have one or more features or characteristics of other neurological disorders that may impact the child's ability to learn and daily functioning. Click here for more on co-occurring features. |
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