Summary and Categories

Learning Disabilities are a frequently misunderstood category of cognitive differences. A person with a learning disability does not have a Cognitive Disorder in the same sense as people with Autistic Disorder or those with an Intellectual Disability. Unlike people with an Intellectual Disability, people with learning disabilities generally have normal or high intelligence. They do, however, face significant challenges in one or more areas of their learning processes. Some areas affected include attention span, impulse control, reading and writing ability, organizational ability, and social skills. Since no one can see that a person has a Learning Disability, they are among the most invisible of all disabilities.

Here is a list of some common learning disabilities:

Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): This is a learning disability in its own right, but it can also co-exist with other learning disabilities. Attention-deficit disorder by nature affects attention span and impulse control. When it also makes a person hyperactive, it is then called Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but, on its own, it’s just called ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).

Dyscalculia: A learning disability affecting mathematical ability.

Dysgraphia: A learning disability that affects written expression.

Dyslexia: Probably the most common known of all learning disabilities, dyslexia often shows itself in problems with reading and spelling, and with odd sequencing of letters in words, but the root problem is now thought to be an issue in processing sounds in words.

Other learning disabilities can cause problems with short- or long-term memory, distinguishing between the focus and a background in a given setting, organizational skills, or social skills, among other functions.

On the job: Accommodations are geared toward the particulars of a person’s learning disabilities and may require longer times to complete certain tasks, providing assistive technologies where needed (available technologies include screen-reading software, voice-recognition software, and electronic organizers) and giving information in different formats.

For more information, visit the website for the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario