Learning disabilities are caused by neurological problems that interfere with an individual's ability to process information. Various disabilities may affect how individuals perceive, integrate, remember or express information. The types of learning disabilities identified in children persist over their lifetimes, but many individuals learn to cope successfully with learning disabilities. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 8 percent to 10 percent of children in the United States have a learning disability.
Dyslexia
Dyslexia, sometimes known as reading disability or reading disorder, is a generalized disability related to written language. Children with dyslexia have difficulty keeping the letters in a word or the words in a sentence in the right order and they often reverse their letters. This causes problems learning to read and spelling written words correctly. Dyslexia may also be associated with problems with navigational skills that require the person to distinguish right from left.
Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia And Dyspraxia
Some learning disabilities are limited to particular tasks or functions. Dyscalculia, for example, causes difficulty working with numbers and understanding mathematical concepts. Dysgraphia affects a child's ability to create readable handwriting. An individual with dysgraphia has difficulty with the physical task of using a pen and paper to write letters and words. Dyspraxia is a disability that affects expression. People with dyspraxia have trouble keeping words and ideas in order when they talk.
Perceptual Processing
Perceptual disabilities interfere with the way the individual processes information on its way to the brain. A problem with auditory perception makes it hard to distinguish the difference between one sound and the other or causes the individual to distinguish sounds slowly. Disabilities that affect visual perception make it hard to tell one shape from another or to identify which word or line to focus on. Visual perceptions may also affect depth perception, impairing eye-hand coordination.
Nonverbal Disabilities
Several disabilities that are not specifically related to using language are considered nonverbal problems. Motor disabilities include problems with fine motor control, evidenced by difficulty cutting or coloring, and insufficient gross motor control that results in awkwardness when running or jumping. Other nonverbal disabilities may interfere with a child's ability to integrate information, making it difficult to put information in the right order or organize materials and keep track of assignments.
Accommodations
When a child has been identified as having a learning disability, the child or a parent may ask for accommodations that will help the child succeed in school. The child continues to do the same work as other students, but the required tasks are presented in ways designed to minimize the effect of the child's disability. Accommodations can take many forms, including allowing more time for a test and providing directions orally instead of in writing.
References
- Learning Disabilities Association of America: Types of Learning Disabilities
- LD Online: What is a Learning Disability?
- National Institutes of Health: NINDS Learning Disabilities Information Page
- University of Washington, Access Careers: What are Specific Types of Learning Disabilities?
- LD Online: Accommodations for Students with LD
