Special Education Resource Guide Disability Fact Sheet

Learning Disabilities
1. Definition of learning disabilities.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides that specific learning
disability means a disorder in 1 or more of the basic psychological processes involved
in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest
itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical
calculations. Such term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain
injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. Such term
does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or
motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental,
cultural, or economic disadvantage.

2. List and describe learning disability classifications/types. One example would

be Dyslexia.

Dyslexia Difficulty with reading

Problems reading, writing, spelling, speaking

Dyscalculia Difficulty with math

Problems doing math problems, understanding time, using money

Dysgraphia Difficulty with writing

Problems with handwriting, spelling, organizing ideas

Dyspraxia (Sensory Integration Disorder) Difficulty with fine motor skills

Problems with hand-eye coordination, balance, manual dexterity

Dysphasia/Aphasia Difficulty with language

Problems understanding spoken language, poor reading comprehension

Auditory Processing Disorder Difficulty hearing differences between sounds

Problems with reading, comprehension, language

Visual Processing Disorder Difficulty interpreting visual information

Problems with reading, math, maps, charts, symbols, pictures

3. Describe characteristics of each learning disability (3 main types: reading, math

and writing areas, give name and brief description).

Mathematical Skills

Poor mathematical fluency

Difficulty memorizing multiplication tables
Difficulty identifying multiples and/or factors
Poor basic calculation skills
Difficulty understanding word or application problems
Poor understanding of mathematical concepts
Difficulty sorting out irrelevant information
Lower visual perceptual and visual-spatial ability
Inability to transfer basic mathematical concepts to solve problems with
unpredictable information
Inability to use basic facts within more complex calculations

Reading Skills

Poor decoding skills

Poor reading fluency
Slow reading rate
Lack of self-monitoring reading skills
Poor comprehension and/or retention
Difficulty identifying important ideas in context
Extreme difficulty building ideas and images
Difficulty integrating new ideas to existing knowledge
Weak vocabulary skills
Extreme difficulty understanding words or grammar
Difficulty recognizing high frequency words
Oral comprehension is noticeably stronger than reading comprehension
Extreme difficulty focusing attention on the printed marks
Difficulty controlling eye movements across the page
Wavy or shimmering pages not attributable to poor vision
Written Expression Skills

Poor writing fluency

Unable to compose complete, grammatical sentences
Difficulty organizing written information
Poor handwriting
Extremely poor alignment
Inability to take notes or copy information from a book or the board
Oral expression is noticeably stronger than written expression
Extremely weak proofreading skills

4. Describe Federal (IDEA) or state criteria for learning disabilities.

Note: MUST cite source of information.

IDEAs definition notes, Specific Learning Disability does not include learning problems
that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of intellectual
disability; of emotional disturbance; or of environmental, cultural, or economic
disadvantage. This clause helps to distinguish learning disabilities from the other
disability categories specified by IDEA. Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) is by far the
largest category of disability within the Individuals for Disabilities Education Act. Nearly
half of all disabled children are labeled in the category of SLD.
https://www.specialeducationguide.com/disability-profiles/specific-learning-disabilities/

5. Discuss at least three causes or possible causes of learning disabilities.

Heredity: Often, learning disabilities run in the family, so its not uncommon to find that
people with learning disabilities have parents or other relatives with similar difficulties.
Problems during pregnancy and birth: Learning disabilities may be caused by illness
or injury during or before birth. It may also be caused by low birth weight, lack of
oxygen, drug and alcohol use during pregnancy, and premature or prolonged labor.
Incidents after birth: Head injuries, nutritional deprivation, and exposure to toxic
substances (i.e. lead) can contribute to learning disabilities.

Learning disabilities are NOT caused by economic disadvantage, environmental factors, or

cultural differences. In fact, there is frequently no apparent cause for learning disabilities.
 6. List and describe at least one resource specific to learning disabilities. Note: A
resource is not an article on the Internet, but an organization specific to this
disability category.

LDA Visualizes a World in Which: all individuals with learning disabilities are
empowered to thrive and participate fully in society; the incidence of learning disabilities
is reduced; and learning disabilities are universally understood and effectively
addressed. LDAs mission is to create opportunities for success for all individuals
affected by learning disabilities and to reduce the incidence of learning disabilities in
future generations. https://ldaamerica.org