Learning Disabilities: Six Things Every Parent Should Know
This month, we will take a closer look at one subset of neurodiversity: learning disabilities. Learning disabilities are often misunderstood in popular culture, leading to people not noticing the signs of a learning disability in a child or themselves. So this month, we will cover all sorts of learning disability topics, from what they are and common misconceptions to signs to look for, assessments, and evidence-based interventions.
First, three specific learning disabilities fall under the learning disability umbrella: dyslexia, dyscalculia, and dysgraphia. A learning disability can occur on its own or can co-occur with another learning disability, with another neurodiversity (like ADHD or Autism Spectrum Disorder), or with a mental health concern (like anxiety or depression). While each learning disability has its own unique symptoms and intervention strategies, there are a lot of things that are true for all learning disabilities. Today, we are going to focus on six often misunderstood facts that are true for all learning disabilities.
Learning disabilities are not intellectual disabilities
Learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities are entirely separate and unrelated diagnoses.
Intellectual disabilities (ID) or intellectual developmental disorders involve limitations in cognitive functioning (learning and problem-solving) and adaptive functioning (daily life activities). These cognitive limitations cause learning and development to occur more slowly than is typical. Children who are diagnosed with an intellectual disability usually have an IQ score of 70 or below and require additional support with daily life tasks such as personal care or communication.
Learning disabilities or learning disorders affect how the brain takes in and processes information. The brains of people with learning disabilities acquire, organize, retain, understand, and use information differently than the brains of people without a learning disability. People who are diagnosed with learning disabilities have specific learning challenges while typically scoring average or above average on IQ assessments. A learning disability impacts how someone learns in a particular domain but does not limit their ability to learn in general.
Learning disabilities are not inherently positive or negative
Learning disabilities simply describe a particular way the brain works. Most people with learning disabilities struggle in some areas while having other areas that they excel in.
The brains of people with and without learning disabilities are wired and organize information differently. We want people who don’t think like everyone else; that’s often how innovation and creativity happen. For this reason, people with learning disabilities are often artistic and creative people with unique ideas and novel approaches to problems. That is why many of the most famous creatives, innovators, and thinkers have learning disabilities.
However, society caters to how most people's brains work. Our schools, workplaces, and communities often don’t work in a way that understands or supports people with learning disabilities. So, while having a learning disability is not inherently negative, many people, particularly kids, experience their disability as profoundly negative. Teaching kids how their brain works while changing their environment to better align with how they process information can shift this experience and allow children to see the challenges and unique skills their learning disability creates.
Learning disabilities cannot be cured or outgrown, but they can be remediated
As with most conditions, learning disabilities exist on a continuum. They can have mild, moderate, or severe impacts on the person experiencing them, and the level of impact can change over time. People with learning disabilities are usually most impacted as kids and young teens, with the severity of effects decreasing as people enter adulthood. This occurs because as people get older, they:
Develop strategies that make challenging tasks less complicated than they once were
Building understanding around how their brain works and what they need
Develop areas of strength that can blunt some areas of challenge
Pursue classes, activities, and jobs that allow them to shine
Receive intervention that helps them build skills
However, it is essential to highlight that a learning disability is not something that can be cured or outgrown. Learning disabilities impact how a person's brain works, which will continue to be true throughout their life. The goal of intervention for learning disabilities is not to “cure” them. Instead, the goal is to provide tools and support that limit the negative impacts of the disability while highlighting and encouraging areas of strength. Over time, this helps people learn to work with their natural brain function and experience fewer negative impacts.
People with learning disabilities are not “lazy,” and “just trying harder” is not the answer (even if it looks like it might be)
People often misunderstand students with learning disabilities, particularly when the learning disability is undiagnosed. Students with learning disabilities typically excel in some areas and are seen as innovative, intelligent, or creative by others. This perception that they are academically capable can cause their real academic struggles to be misinterpreted as laziness or a choice.
Students with learning disabilities frequently have patchy or inconsistent academic performance. When you look closer, you often find patterns in the types of assignments or tasks they excel at and the types they struggle with. For example, a student might avoid writing assignments, avoid situations where others see their spelling ability, or avoid tasks that require doing real-time math calculations. This avoidance comes from not knowing how to do something or being embarrassed that their ability in a given area is uncharacteristically low. Particularly as students get older, it is common for avoidance and masking behaviors to start to look like a student does not care or is defiant.
It is also common for kids with learning disabilities to have what I call the light-switch effect. Their understanding of a new skill or concept might go off and on like a light switch. They might seem to understand a new concept in one moment, but when you ask them to apply it or recall it the next day, it’s like it's gone. The appearance that information is there and then gone is caused by how their brain sorts and stores new information. However, it is easy for this to appear like the child is “lazy” or “doing it on purpose.”
Supporting kids with learning disabilities is not JUST about teaching missing academic skills
Effective interventions for learning disabilities are not just about teaching missing skills. Instead, effective interventions and support for learning disabilities should work to accomplish three things.
Teach the student how their brain works, their strengths, what they might need extra support with, and what types of supports work for them.
Increase the student's ability in areas of weakness with direct, explicit, and repeated instruction from someone trained in working with students with their specific learning disability.
Provide support and accommodations across other subjects to ensure that they can reach their full academic potential. For example, a student with dyslexia may benefit from having audio versions of their reading assignments in history class.
The most effective interventions occur in small and repeated chunks that allow the child to build knowledge and skills over time and then apply this learning in multiple situations. Remediation is a slow and methodical process where, over time, gaps are lessened and closed, skills are built, and areas of strength are developed.
Learning Disorders and Learning Disabilities are Distinct terms
Learning disorders and learning disability refer to the same general umbrella of conditions and are often used interchangeably. However, if you are trying to access assessment or support for your child, it is important to understand the difference.
Learning Disorder is a diagnostic term used by medical professionals. A medical professional (usually a psychologist) conducts assessments and then diagnoses learning disorders if the criteria outlined in The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) are met. This manual is updated regularly. As of May 2024, the latest edition is DSM-5-TR, which states for text revision.
Learning Disability is a legal term used in public schools and in US law. If a child is evaluated by a public school and found to have a learning concern impacting their education, they may be identified as having a learning disability. The student then can access additional school-based services and supports under US law. Adults can also receive workplace accommodations and protections under this legal term.
Resources
If you are looking for more resources and support for your child, you are not alone! I know this can be an overwhelming and confusing process, but my team and I are here to help.
Here are some additional resources that might be helpful:
My recent blog post, Should I Have My Child Evaluated?
My FREE webinar: Comparing IEP & 504 School-Based Support Plans
My course, Understand and Access Evaluation for Your Child, will guide you through the evaluation process from start to finish, including both school and medical model evaluations.