Learning Disabilities Reading Comprehension Lesson

What is a Learning Disability?

A learning disability is a neurological condition that affects how a person understands or uses spoken or written language. This can result in trouble with reading, writing, and doing math. Since learning disabilities are most obvious in school settings, they are typically identified by school psychologists who test academics, intelligence, and learning processes. A learning disability is not related to a person’s level of intelligence. In fact, many people with learning disabilities have very high intelligence. Learning disabilities can be treated successfully as long as they are recognized.

There are three common types of learning disabilities: dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia. Each one affects a different academic skill. Dyslexia mostly affects reading and writing. Dysgraphia mostly affects handwriting and the physical act of writing. Dyscalculia mostly affects math. A student may have one of these disabilities, or a combination of them. The same student might be a top performer in some subjects and have great difficulty in others.

It is important to remember that a learning disability is not the same as a lack of effort or intelligence. Students with learning disabilities often work harder than their classmates, simply because their brains process certain kinds of information differently. With the right support — such as extra time on tests, audio textbooks, special tutoring, or assistive technology — students with learning disabilities can succeed in school, college, and careers just like anyone else.

Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia

Dyslexia is a learning disability that causes problems with reading and writing, regardless of the person’s intelligence level. Having dyslexia does not mean a student has trouble with subjects other than reading. There are some signs of dyslexia to look for in young children. A child with dyslexia might reverse letters (writing “b” for “d”), have trouble sounding out words, or struggle to remember the names of letters. Dyslexia is the most common learning disability — about 5 to 15 percent of all people have some form of it.

Dysgraphia is a learning disorder that causes problems with writing, no matter what a person’s reading abilities are. Many people with dysgraphia can write at some level, and some have above-average intelligence. A person with dysgraphia may also have problems with spelling. Signs include illegible handwriting, unfinished letters, mixing print and cursive, mixing upper-case and lower-case letters, or writing letters in many different sizes and shapes. Dysgraphia typically becomes obvious when a child is learning to write.

Dyscalculia is a learning disorder that causes problems with math. Like dyslexia and dysgraphia, dyscalculia affects people of all intelligence levels. Common symptoms include difficulty with adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, word problems, and fractions. A student with dyscalculia might also struggle to remember math facts, tell time on an analog clock, or count money. With early identification and the right teaching strategies, students with dyscalculia can still develop strong math skills — just sometimes at a different pace than their classmates.

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