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LD Basics   |   LD Explained   |   Basic Facts
What are Learning Disabilities?
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By NCLD Editorial Staff
Published: March 04 2009
Learning disabilities (LD) are real. To have a learning disability means that you are of average or above-average intelligence, and your difficulties with learning are not primarily due to sensory problems (like blindness or hearing impairment), serious emotional disturbance, cognitive challenges (like mental retardation), cultural differences or insufficient or inappropriate instruction. "Learning disabilities" are not one thing but rather a general term that refers to a group of more specific disorders in such areas as listening, reading, writing, spelling, reasoning or doing math. Most learning disabilities are unexplained (there is no known cause) and often, the effects of LD are seen throughout a person's lifetime.

 

What is a learning disability?

 

A learning disability (LD) is presumed to be 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 seemingly 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.

 

How can one tell if a person has a learning disability?

 

Learning disabilities can affect a person's ability in the areas of:

 

  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Spelling
  • Reasoning
  • Mathematics

 

Features of a learning disability might include:

 

  • A distinct and unexplained gap between one's expected and actual levels of achievement
  • Difficulties with social-emotional skills and behavior.


A learning disability is not a disease, so there is no cure, but there are ways to overcome the challenges it poses through careful identification, specialized instruction and appropriate accommodations. LD often manifests itself differently in different people and in different situations, so individualized assessment and instruction is needed to understand each person's unique challenges and needs.

 

Identification

 

If there is reason to think that a person might have LD, it is important for parents, teachers, doctors and others regularly in contact with that person to collect and share observations with each other. Signs of repeated struggle or frustration with learning over a period of time is a sure sign to seek help from school or to consult with a learning specialist and seek an evaluation.

 

Accommodations and Modifications

 

Once a learning disability is identified, different kinds of assistance can be provided. In addition to specialized, explicit types of instruction, children with LD are entitled to have accommodations (such as extended time, readers, and note-takers) or modifications (such as abbreviated tests or alternate assignments) as appropriate. These guarantees are afforded to children with LD by law as protections against discrimination in the classroom, and are included on a child's individualized education program (IEP).

 

What causes learning disabilities?

 

Experts aren't exactly sure what causes learning disabilities. LD may be due to:

 

  • Heredity - often learning disabilities run in the family, so it's not uncommon to find that people with LD have parents or other relatives with similar difficulties.
  • Problems during pregnancy and birth - LD may be caused by illness or injury during or before birth. It may also be caused by drug and alcohol use during pregnancy, low birth weight, lack of oxygen and premature or prolonged labor.
  • Incidents after birth - Head injuries, nutritional deprivation and exposure to toxic substances (i.e. lead) can contribute to LD.


Learning disabilities are NOT caused by economic disadvantage, environmental factors or cultural differences. In fact, there is frequently no apparent cause for LD.

 

Are learning disabilities common?


Currently, almost 2.8 million public school children in the US are classified as having specific learning disabilities and receive some kind of special education support. They are approximately 5% of all school-aged children in public schools. These numbers do not include children in private and religious schools or those who are home-schooled.

 

What can one do about learning disabilities?


Learning disabilities are lifelong, and although they won't go away, they don't have to stop a person from setting high standards and achieving realistic goals. Learning disabilities affect every person differently, and the disorder can range from mild to severe. Sometimes people even have more than one learning disability. In addition, approximately one third of people with LD also have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), which makes it difficult for them to concentrate, stay focused and sustain their attention to specific tasks.

 

LD and children


Early recognition of struggle and successful identification of LD is vital in helping a child to succeed academically as well as socially. If you think your child is displaying signs of a learning disability, share your concerns with classroom teachers and others who come in contact with your child. Observe the way your child develops the language, motor coordination and social skills and behaviors important for success in school. Remember, early is better — even preschoolers can show signs of risk for LD.

 

And don't panic. Not all children who are slow to develop skills have LD. If your child does have a learning disability, early intervention with specialized teaching strategies can help to overcome difficulties. As a parent, it is important to learn as much as you can and to help your child understand that he or she is not alone: other children struggle too, and adults are there to help.

 

LD Checklist of Signs and Symptoms

 

ldchecklistMost people have problems with learning and behavior from time to time. During the school years, parents and educators should be on the alert for consistent (and persistent) patterns of difficulty that children and adolescents may experience over time as they may signal an underlying learning disability (LD). While variations in the course of development are to be expected, unevenness or lags in the mastery of skills and behaviors, even with children as young as 4 or 5, should not be ignored. And because LD can co-occur with other disorders, it's important to keep careful and complete records of observations and impressions so they can be shared among parent, educators and related service providers when making important decisions about needed services and supports.
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