Talking About LD

For our family, advocacy means sharing our personal experiences to educate and encourage other families, teachers, administrators, care providers, etc. Sharing our stories has resulted in opportunities to provide assistance and to participate in meaningful dialogue that leads to positive partnerships.   

Advocacy takes many forms, but remember that sharing your own experiences and the facts about LD can change lives! As Khalil Gibran once said, “A little bit of knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.”

-Esther Falcetta, parent advocate, Pennsylvania

The first step to being an effective LD advocate is understanding the issue and how to talk about it. Your personal experiences may be motivating you, but it is important to educate yourself about the facts and figures and broaden your understanding of LD beyond what you’ve learned through those experiences. Knowing some of the “hot button” issues and how to deal with them is essential because it conveys a sense of credibility and adds to your authority as a spokesperson for the cause. Regardless of whether these issues are of interest to you, one or more is likely to come up in discussions with policymakers and the media.

There continues to be substantial misconceptions about learning disabilities and how to best support children who struggle to learn. Learning how to frame messages so that they have the greatest impact should be your priority. Why? Because understanding what you are talking about and choosing the right words can have a major impact on your work. Misconceptions cannot simply be overturned by confronting them with statistics, no matter how powerful those statistics may be. Both policymakers and the general public have preconceived ideas about what learning disabilities are, and it is your job to speak clearly and effectively to those concerns while persuasively explaining that it is in everyone’s best interest to respect and support the rights of individuals with LD so they can become successful adults.

Describing Learning Disabilities

For many people, it is difficult to understand these commonplace, but hidden, disabilities. This is made more difficult by misinformation and the deliberate distortions of those who claim that learning disabilities are an excuse for poor academic performance. The term “learning disabilities” is frequently used as an umbrella term for all types of disabilities, which only serves to further confuse the public and perpetuate misunderstanding.

Clear, consistent and concise language should be used to describe LD. When working with policymakers, using alternative phrases that exclude the word “disability” such as “learning disorder,” or “learning difference” does little to change the perceptions. If anything, alternative descriptions like “learning difficulties” or “learning differences” can soften the intensity of concern and make the issue seem insignificant.

Because the term “specific learning disability” is used in the federal law that provides special education services (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), advocates should use this term in their communications with policymakers and the media.

The definition of “specific learning disability” in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is as follows:

• The term ‘specific learning disability’ means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations.
• The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia due to LD.
• The term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of intellectual disabilities[formerly known as mental retardation], of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. [34 CFR 300.8(c)(10)]

Important points to remember when describing LD:

• Learning disabilities are real. Scientists have proven the neurological basis of LD through the use of brain scans and other techniques. There also is proof that learning disabilities can be genetic.
• Learning disabilities occur often. Most scientific experts agree (and school data confirm) that at least five percent 
  — and likely more — of our school-age children have severe problems with learning.
• Learning disabilities are not the same as autism intellectual disabilities (previously known as mental retardation) or Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. People with LD have average to above average intelligence, which is not the case for people with intellectual disabilities. And while there are a significant number of people with LD who also have ADHD, ADHD is not a learning disability. (If ADHD and LD are confused during your conversations, it can often help to distinguish between them by stating that ADHD is a disorder that causes inappropriate impulsivity, attention, and in some cases, hyperactivity and can often be treated with medication. LD is a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive, process, store and respond to information and cannot be treated with medication.)
• Learning disabilities are lifelong. Many children can be taught to compensate for them with early diagnosis and appropriate instruction.

Legal Protections

People with learning disabilities have legal protections available to them through several federal laws. Being familiar with these laws is essential to your success as an advocate.

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA2004):

  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA2004) is the federal law that provides for special education and related services for eligible children ages three through 21 with disabilities. IDEA ensures that a free and appropriate public education (FAPE) based on the individual needs of students with disabilities is available. The law also guarantees rights for children with disabilities and their parents. More information on IDEA is available in the Appendices of this publication.

• Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973:

  Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in programs and activities, public or private, that receive federal financial assistance. The law does not provide funding for special education or related services, but it does permit the federal government to take funding away from programs that do not comply with the law. More information on Section 504 is available in the Appendices of this publication.

• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA):

  The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, is a civil rights law that protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in the workplace, as well as school and other settings. ADA does not provide funding for services or accommodations. More information on the ADA is available in the Appendices of this publication.

Note: For more information on these laws and the rights of individuals with LD, please visit www.ld.org for parent guides, articles, toolkits and other resources.

Prevalence of LD

The prevalence of learning disabilities is frequently addressed by the media and is often brought up in discussions with policymakers — so it’s important to know the facts on this issue. While there is not a sure-fire way to capture the exact data regarding the total number of Americans who have learning disabilities, it is conservatively estimated that 3% - 5% of the general population are affected.

Fortunately, there is reliable data on the number of children served in the LD category under IDEA, which is often the group singled out for discussion. While there has been substantial growth in the LD category during the 30 years since enactment of IDEA, the number of students in the LD category has increased less than the total number of all students served under IDEA for 15 consecutive years. In fact, there has been a decline in the number of students identified as having LD in each of the years between 2000 and 2010.