Learning Disabilities: Definition, Diagnosis, and Help
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What is a Learning Disability?
To many people, the phrase "learning disability" conjures up memories of that classroom in grade school where they sent the kids who were a little ... you know, different, in a paste-eating, Ralph Wiggum sort of way.
This attitude couldn't be further from the truth. I believe it arises from two separate, but related, problems. The first is simple ignorance. Many people equate learning disabilities with low intelligence and behavior problems because the first, and (and possibly the only) time they heard of learning disability was in elementary school. Learning disability was why the kid everybody picked on had to go to that "special classroom". The higher-functioning kids with LD knew better than to say anything, ensuring that they remained invisible.
The second problem is that the term itself has slightly differing definitions, depending on whether the setting is legal or clinical -- and that's just in the United States. "Learning disability" means other things in other parts of the English-speaking world.
What follows is an explanation of learning disabilities as they are understood in the United States and the UK. I will talk about the legal and clinical definition of learning disabilities in the US, as well as other terms used to describe learning disabilities in global English. I will also offer links to resources in case you or a a loved one might need testing or diagnosis.
This attitude couldn't be further from the truth. I believe it arises from two separate, but related, problems. The first is simple ignorance. Many people equate learning disabilities with low intelligence and behavior problems because the first, and (and possibly the only) time they heard of learning disability was in elementary school. Learning disability was why the kid everybody picked on had to go to that "special classroom". The higher-functioning kids with LD knew better than to say anything, ensuring that they remained invisible.
The second problem is that the term itself has slightly differing definitions, depending on whether the setting is legal or clinical -- and that's just in the United States. "Learning disability" means other things in other parts of the English-speaking world.
What follows is an explanation of learning disabilities as they are understood in the United States and the UK. I will talk about the legal and clinical definition of learning disabilities in the US, as well as other terms used to describe learning disabilities in global English. I will also offer links to resources in case you or a a loved one might need testing or diagnosis.
Image from wikimedia commons.
Why Me?
Well, it's the story of my life.
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I'm an adult with learning disabilities. I was diagnosed with dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and attention deficit disorder (inattentive subtype) halfway through my junior year in college.
The diagnosis explained a lot about my life. It provided me with a concrete reason for the years of fighting with my parents over my grades. I finally knew why I felt like there was something subtly wrong with me.
What my diagnosis didn't do was fix me. I only had three semesters of college left when I was diagnosed, and it took all that time to begin to learn how to manage my condition. My grade point average was much lower than I liked, I had to take a reduced course load, and I had no time for networking activities like applying for internships or even getting to know my professors. Then I tried to enter the job market, and I've struggled ever since.
But it didn't have to be like that. If I'd been diagnosed when my problems first surfaced, I would have been given remediation services while I was still in elementary school. I would have learned to cope with my disabilities and I would probably have been more successful both in school and in the workplace.
My hope in writing this is to provide others like me with the information I wish I had been given along with my diagnosis. Better yet, this information will reach parents and teachers of students with learning disabilities, enabling them to take corrective action as soon as possible. The earlier a learning disability is recognized, diagnosed, and accommodated, the more success a student will have in the future.
Learning Disabilies by Any Other Name
LD, Learning Difficulties, Learning Defecits and Learning Disorders...
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One of the problems with understanding learning disabilities is the sheer number of terms that are used to refer to them.
For instance, in the United States, the phrase "Learning Disability" is generally understood to refer to people like me, who are more or less normal but who have deficits in a specific area, like math. I've sometimes heard learning disabilities called "learning deficits".
Then there's "learning disorders", which usually refers to a more general disability like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. ADHD interferes with cognition across the board instead of in a specific area -- though the two can, and often do, coexist.
Sometimes learning disability is shortened to the initials "LD", to save on all that pesky typing.
In the UK, I would be described as having "learning difficulties". In British English, "Learning disabilities" seems to refer to cognitive problems that are more generalized and more severe -- in the States, we'd use the term "developmental disability" instead. As for "LD", one of my fellow squids from the UK told me that her daughter has learning difficulties, but she hadn't heard the term "LD" before reading one of my lenses.
To make matters still more confusing, "developmental disability" (at least in the US) sometimes includes people with Cerebral Palsy. Cerebral Palsy is a motor disorder, and has nothing to do with a person's intellectual abilities.
Because there's just not enough ambiguity!
Learning Differences
Real Thing, or Feel-Good Buzzword?
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Then there's the term "learning difference". I feel kind of ambiguous about this term. On the one hand, I feel that what I have truly is a learning difference. I was able to learn math in a Montessori setting, which had visual-tactile teaching aids; it was only when I went to public school and faced twelve years of conventional instruction that I started struggling. Clearly I think, and therefore learn, differently than is assumed by standard curricula.
Besides, why is it a "disability" to be bad at math, but not to be bad at music or drawing? I'm bad at math, but good at art and music. My husband is good at math but bad at art and music. How come I'm the only one with a "disability"?
On the other hand, I have a "disability" because, in my culture, it really is crippling to be as bad at math as I am. Basic numeracy is simply expected of adults in this society, especially adults who went to college. To be unable to do simple arithmetic, let alone remember a phone number, is truly a barrier to professional success. Being tone deaf isn't.
Learning Disability: Clinical Definition (DSM IV) and Diagnosis
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A learning disability is a deficit in a specific area of cognition. For instance, dyslexia, which is a reading disorder, is diagnosed when:
As measured by a standardized tests, the patient's ability to read (accuracy or comprehension) is substantially less than you would expect considering age, intelligence and education. This deficiency materially impedes academic achievement or daily living.
Generally, people with learning disabilities have average or above average intelligence. In the United States, learning disabilities are diagnosed by credentialed professionals (usually an educational psychologist or clinical psychologist) according to the criteria described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual published by the American Psychiatric Association. A learning disability is a deficit in a specific area, such as reading or math, as opposed to a deficit in general cognition. Therefore, a learning disability will generally be diagnosed only if there is a discrepancy between a person's overall intelligence and their academic achievement.
American Legal Definition of "Learning Disability"
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According to the website Familyeducation.com, a learning disability is legally defined under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. A learning disability is a
"disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations." Learning disabilities can arise from causes such as "such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia." However, the definition excludes learning problems that are caused by "other disabilities, such as visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; mental retardation; or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage."
In English, what this means is that learning disabilities are neurological disorders. In order for them to be diagnosed, the clinician must rule out other possibilities; these include visual or hearing or gross motor impairments, as well as learning problems due to environmental factors, such as growing up in a non-English-speaking home.
Learning Disabilities: Types and Varieties
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As the Learning Disabilities Association of America puts it, LDs are neurological processing problems. The problem might be in one or more of four areas: input (getting the information to the brain in the first place), integration (making sense of the information), memory (storing and retrieving information), and output (getting the information back out of the brain, and onto a test paper, writing assignment, or basic conversation).
Input disabilities tend to be either auditory or visual. Integration disabilities can affect sequencing, organization, or an individual's ability to work with abstractions. Memory disabilities can occur in a person's short-term, long-term, or working memory. Finally, output disabilities usually occur in either motor or language functions.
- Learning Disability Symptoms, Types, and Testing
- How to recognize LD and what to do about it. If you're looking for a basic primer about learning disabilities by type and which academic subject is impacted, this is the place to go.
- Types Of Learning Disabilities
- Learning disabilities classified by type, from the Learning Disability Association. This article goes in depth into the cognitive processes mentioned above, and how they might be impacted by LD.
- Things That Look Like LD, But Aren't
- Just to be edgy, I thought I'd include a link to Wrong Diagnosis.
If you're a parent or educator, it's especially important to keep in mind that learning problems are not always caused by a learning disability. Things like mood disorders, abuse, and sensory disabilities can often look like learning disabilities. Any responsible clinician will rule these things out before diagnosing a learning disability.
Partial List of Learning Disabilities
Give me specifics!
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Now that you know a bit about the different categories of learning disabilities and how they can affect learning, it's time to talk about specific learning disabilities. These are the ones you've heard of -- things like dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
I personally believe that one of the best ways to learn about a learning disability is to hear directly from someone who has it. Reading a list of symptoms is all well and good, but that doesn't tell you what it's like to live, think, and feel when you have LD. Whenever it was possible, I found links to information written by people like me, who have the specific learning disability in question. Some of the information was written by the parent of an LD child.
Other links are just to good ol' fashioned internet articles.
- How I've Coped With Asperger's
- Asperger's syndrome is a form of autism. Like other disorders on the autism spectrum, Aspies have difficulties with nonverbal communication, but their verbal ability remains unimpaired. Many people with Aperger's are also physically clumsy. In recent years, activists within the community have called for a reassessment of Asperger's as a "disability", maintaining that it is a natural neurological variance which confers strengths as well as weaknesses.
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- ADHD is probably the best-known learning disabilities out there. It's probably also the most controversial. A lot of ADHD traits, especially the ones associated with impulsivity and hyperactivity, look to many like standard "bad behavior". Then there's the difficult questions about whether it's ethical to medicate children when the long-term effects of such medication are unknown. Finally, it's clear that (in some communities at least) the disorder is genuinely over-diagnosed. All of these things can make it difficult to separate truth from fiction when it comes to attention deficit disorder.
- Auditory Processing Disorder
- Auditory processing disorder is a learning disability in which someone of normal hearing has impaired neural processing of the sounds they hear. It is not well understood, and is therefore underdiagnosed; this leads millions of children and their families to wonder why they're struggling in school.
- Dyscalculia (or "math disability", or "math disorder", or "math dyslexia", or ...)
- Dyscalculia is a disability that interferes with a person's ability to process numbers, arithmetic, and mathematical reasoning. It's much less well-known than dyslexia, leading to under-diagnosis and stigma. In my lens "What the Heck is Dyscalculia", I discuss the disorder in detail, including the impact it has had on my life.
- Dysgraphia (writing disorder)
- Dysgraphia is a disability that effects a person's ability to write. For some dysgraphics, such as myself, it is merely a handwriting difficulty, and disappears when the person is able to type. For others, it has a severe impact on the person's ability to organize their thoughts in writing. It can also impact a person's ability to fill in forms or to draw.
- Dyspraxia (motor disability, a.k.a. "developmental coordination disorder" or "clumsy child syndrome")
- Daniel Radcliffe, well-known for starring in the Harry Potter movies, recently revealed that he has dyspraxia. There are some days he has trouble tying his shoes (and he wishes that velcro had taken off). But Radcliffe's dyspraxia is comparatively mild -- some with this condition are unable to drive, have trouble using ticket machines on public transit systems, and still struggle to dress themselves even as adults. Fortunately Radcliffe's openness are giving this disorder the publicity it needs.
- Twice Exceptional
- Students with learning disabilities have intelligence in the average to above average ranges. Some of us are even gifted. Those of us who fall into this last category are called "twice exceptional" or "2e". Some 2e students are diagnosed as disabled, with their weaknesses masking their gifts. A lot of us fail to have our disabilities diagnosed because our strengths compensate for our deficits. Our teachers therefore assume we're "average" or "not trying".
- Visual Processing Disorder
- Visual Processing Disorder is diagnosed when a person of normal or corrected vision has trouble understanding what they see. A person with VPD might have trouble distinguishing between similar-looking letters, colors, or shapes; or they might have trouble recognizing patterns or faces.
- William's Syndrome
- According to the wikipedia article, William's Syndrome is typified by developmental delays and low IQ. Genetic and other research is beginning to show that the real picture might be far more complicated than that. People with William's may in fact be very gifted in areas such as music and linguistic creativity.
Learning Disabilities and Related Mild Disabilities
by Janet A. Lerner and Beverly Johns
Learning Disabilities: Diagnosis and Testing
What to do if you suspect that you or your child has LD
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When it comes to a suspected learning disability, testing and diagnosis are crucially important. It is impossible to solve a problem until you know what that problem is -- and the only way to know that is to test for a learning disability. Furthermore, schools and employers are not required to provide accommodations or remediation until a certified diagnosis is made.
If you believe your child has a learning disability, it is best to have your child tested by a private clinician if it is possible. While you have a right to demand testing by your school district, there seems to be a conflict of interest when the clinician who administers the test is employed by that same district. Testing and remediation cost a district money, and many school psychologists face pressure from the district to find that expensive testing and remediation is not necessary. Furthermore, this study indicates disturbing attitudes on the part of many school psychologists toward the students they are supposed to serve.
If you would like to have your child tested, LD Online has an excellent article about what questions you should ask when selecting a clinician.
If you are an adult, the matter may be more complicated; however, it is still possible to be tested. If you attend college or technical school, your school should have an Office of Student Affairs that can help you find somebody to test you. Other possibilities are the adult education department of your local school district, local colleges or universities, or state vocational rehabilitation agencies.
The Learning Disabilities Association has an excellent resource page, describing the testing process, where you can go to be tested, and what questions you should to determine the test-giver's qualifications.
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Testing is often a few thousand dollars. The expense makes it crucial that you select your clinician with care. Your clinician should be someone who has experience testing for learning disabilities, who can tell you exactly what the test entails, and most importantly, who can provide you with documentation of your disability.
Since learning disability terminology can be confusing, this documentation should be include the DSM numbers for each diagnosis, to avoid any confusion or ambiguity. To give an example of this, I know of someone whose documentation said that she had "math disorder", and she was told by her school that they could only provide accommodations if she had "dyscalculia". The fact is that these are different words for the same thing -- DSM 315.1 -- called "math disorder" in the DSM itself, but also known as "dyscalculia".
Important!
Documentation: The Most Important Thing About Learning Disabilities Testing!
Your documentation should include the DSM numbers of the conditions diagnosed, as well as suggested accommodations and remediations for each of them. Testing is expensive -- and without usable documentation, it's worthless. Make sure that the clinician you select knows how to document learning disabilities properly and correctly.
Learning Disabilities and Special Education
Welcome to Special Ed
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What is Special Education? What is "IDEA"? Or the "ADA"? What's an IEP?
If you, your child, or your student has been diagnosed with a disability, you may find yourself in the world of Special Education. Special Ed, which includes students with all kinds of disabilities, is a world with its own terminology and lots of acronyms. It can make a big difference if you get the low-down from someone who knows.
Learning Disability Myths
Which is the Most Damaging?
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As if having a learning disability isn't enough, those of us with LD have to deal with an incredible number of myths and misconceptions about who we are and what we can do. I've listed some of these below. Vote for the one you think is the worst -- the most damaging, the most hurtful, or just the one you hate above all the others. If I've missed your least-favorite myth, feel free to add it.
Many of these can also be seen at LD Pride, but all of them are things I've been told throughout my life.
1
Learning disabilities aren't real -- they're an excuse for weak parenting and incompetent teaching.
Learning disabilities are very real. They're caused by neurological differences in how a person's brain processes and retrieves information. The presence of LD has nothing to do with parenting or teaching.1 point
2
Myth: People with learning disabilities aren't smart.
The fact is that people with learning disabilities can have intelligence in the average, above average, or gifted range.0 points
3
Myth: People with learning disabilities can't learn.
People with LD often learn ways that are different from the methods used in mainstream classrooms. With the appropriate help and remediation, we can learn and even excel academically.0 points
4
Myth: People with learning disabilities can't go to college.
Actually, people with learning disabilities go to college, graduate school, law school, and medical school, where many of them thrive.0 points
5
Myth: People with learning disabilities just need to try harder.
The reality is that people with LD try harder than most people will ever understand. When we fail, its because we're using methods that simply will not work for our brains. You cannot overcome a neurological difference by "trying harder".0 points
6
Myth: Learning disabilities are "really" just psychological blocks.
It's certainly true that many people with LD are traumatized by their education. However, this is the result of our learning problems, not the cause of it.0 points
7
Myth: Only children can have learning disabilities -- once you're through with school it doesn't matter anymore.
In our modern economy, workers are expected to learn new skills and process new information constantly. This is significantly hampered by learning disabilities, especially undiagnosed ones. Adults with LD tend to be unemployed, or else employed in work that is far beneath their true capabilities.0 points
Disability, Difference, or Gift?
Who gets to decide?
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For several decades, learning disabilities (as well as mental illnesses) have been defined according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, or the DSM. But as genetic and other forms of testing are becoming more sophisticated, is it possible the DSM could become obsolete? And should we be labeling difference as "disability" anyway?
Important!
Learning Disabled is NOT the Same As "Stupid"!
If you only take one thing away from reading this lens, I want it to be this:
People with learning disabilities are intelligent, creative, and capable -- we just learn differently.
People with learning disabilities are intelligent, creative, and capable -- we just learn differently.
FREE LEARNING DISABILITY ASSESSMENT
It can take a lot of time to get your child tested for learning disabilities by your school district. If your district refuses, it may cost a lot of money as well. While only a clinician can diagnose learning disability, this free assessment can help you determine whether your child is likely to be diagnosed in the first place.
Find out whether your child needs further testing with these pre-tests for dyscalculia and dyslexia.
Find out whether your child needs further testing with these pre-tests for dyscalculia and dyslexia.
- Free Dyscalculia Pre-Assessment
- This free test will help you determine whether your child might need to be assessed for mathematics disorder, or "dyscalculia".
- Free Dyslexia Pre-Assessment
- This free test will help you determine whether your child might have dyslexia.
Surviving and Thriving with Learning Disabilities
(it's almost over, I promise)
Learning disabilities are not a death sentence for hopes and dreams.
The key is to identify them as early as possible. Someone who is diagnosed at age 8 will have more time to learn coping strategies than someone who is diagnosed at 18.
Even so, if you're already grown up and in the work force, it is always worth knowing exactly what neurological challenges you are facing. The beauty of the human brain is that it is always learning and assimilating new information. You may struggle with certain tasks, but once you know why, you will be able to learn how to work around those areas of weakness to focus on your strengths.
Good luck!
The key is to identify them as early as possible. Someone who is diagnosed at age 8 will have more time to learn coping strategies than someone who is diagnosed at 18.
Even so, if you're already grown up and in the work force, it is always worth knowing exactly what neurological challenges you are facing. The beauty of the human brain is that it is always learning and assimilating new information. You may struggle with certain tasks, but once you know why, you will be able to learn how to work around those areas of weakness to focus on your strengths.
Good luck!
AddaptAbilities
Learning Disabilities in Adults
AddaptAbilities is my blog about life as an adult with learning disabilities. In many ways, my life is like anybody else's -- but my dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and attention deficit disorder have an impact on just about everything I do.
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What Did You Learn About Learning Disabilities?
Share it below!
If you learned something about LD, or would like to share your experience with it, please share it below. You don't even have to be a member of Squidoo!
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Alan Usen
Jan 6, 2012 @ 6:12 am | delete
- I want to recommend a new product for the dyscalculia treatment - Dyscalculia No More review
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sidther
Apr 4, 2011 @ 4:31 pm | delete
- A wonderful lens! Lensrolled
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sorana
Mar 2, 2011 @ 11:45 pm | delete
- Yet another great lens from you. Your coverage of LDs is very informative.
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jvsper63
Mar 2, 2011 @ 11:20 pm | delete
- This is a great lens on a great topic.Thank you for sharing;)
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May 26, 2010 @ 3:32 am | delete
- Hi! Very interesting lens, especially for parents eager to help their kids. Thank you for sharing
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I'm an adult with LD. A few months ago I realized that I've put years of time and energy into understanding and coping with my learning disabilities,... more »
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