Service Description

What are learning disabilities?

Learning disabilities are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders1 that can significantly hamper a person’s ability to learn new things.2 As a result, the person may have trouble with tasks such as speaking, reading, writing, paying attention, understanding information, remembering things, performing mathematical calculations, or coordinating movements.

Types of Learning Disabilities

• Dyslexia: Dyslexia is the most common learning disability, accounting for 80% of all learning disability cases.6 It is a language processing disorder characterized by difficulty with speaking, reading, writing, or understanding words. This can cause the person's vocabulary to develop at a slower pace and lead to issues with grammar, reading comprehension, and other language skills.
• Dyscalculia: Sometimes known as “math dyslexia,” this condition includes learning disorders related to mathematics, such as difficulty with numbers, concepts, and reasoning. People with dyscalculia may struggle to count money, read clocks and tell time, perform mental math calculations, identify number patterns, and apply mathematical formulae.
• Language processing disorder (LPD): This is a subset of APD, characterized by difficulties with processing spoken language. The person may have difficulty attaching meaning to sound groups representing words, sentences, and stories.

Causes of Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities are caused by differences in the neurological functioning of the person’s brain. These differences can occur before the person is born, during their birth, or in early childhood, and may be caused by factors such as:

• Maternal illness during pregnancy
• Birth complications that block the flow of oxygen to the baby’s brain
• Certain genes that can make the person more genetically predisposed to developing a learning disability

Diagnosing Learning Disabilities

• Academic testing: The healthcare provider may administer a standardized achievement test that checks the person’s reading, writing, and arithmetic skills, as well as an intelligence quotient (IQ) test. If the person performs well on the IQ test but has a lower score on the achievement test, it could indicate that they have a learning disability.
• Performance review: The healthcare provider may review and evaluate the person’s academic, professional, social, and developmental performance.
• Medical history: The healthcare provider will likely ask questions about the person’s personal and family medical history.

Every learning disability has different symptoms, and everyone’s experience of the condition is unique. The signs, frequency, and intensity of symptoms can vary considerably.11 Some people may have a single, isolated learning difficulty that doesn't cause issues in day-to-day life; others have overlapping learning disabilities that make it difficult for them to function without support
Treating Learning Disabilities

• Medication: Some people may need to take medication to improve their ability to focus and concentrate.
• Therapy: Psychotherapy can help people with learning disabilities deal with emotional issues and develop coping skills.
• Other interventions: People with learning disabilities may also benefit from other interventions such as speech and language therapy.
• Support groups: People with learning disabilities as well as parents of children with learning disabilities may benefit from support group meetings that help them connect with others who have similar experiences. Learning difficulties can often lead to tension, misunderstandings, and conflicts among the family, particularly among families where the condition is hereditary