Simply stated, a learning disability is a neurological disorder. In the state in which I teach, we refer to a learning disability as having an SLD , or specific learning disability. This is because a learning disability is not dependent on your IQ. Most children with learning disabilities have normal full scale Intelligence Quotients. These children are only deficient in one (sometimes two) SPECIFIC areas, thus the term SLD. Usually, the disparity between achievement in one subject verus another is astounding. For example, last year , I had a young man in my fifth grade class who understood and mastered almost every complicated math concept that I taught, but couldn't hardly read at a second grade level. The child was NOT "slow", had an average IQ and was an above average student in almost every subject except Reading.

Most educational specialists consider a learning disability to be originated in a person's central nervous system. The neural wiring is different from our own, usually affecting a "right brain" and "left brain" situation, which may cause some students not to be "firing on all neurons" in the areas of a specific subject, be it Math/Science or Reading/Language. Other neural deficiencies may lead to general problems in learning. If you look at the situation biologically, you can see that a learning disability is a REAL disability.
There are several types of learning disabilities recognized by educational specialists. Some are listed below:

*Articulation Disorder - The inability to articulate or express language.
*Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) - Inability to focus on specific tasks.
*Auditory Processing Disorder - The difficulty in understanding what you hear.
*Dyscalculia - Inability to work with math concepts.
*Dysgraphia - Inability to put words on paper expressively.
*Dyslexia - Reading disorder, often when letters are transposed in the brain.
*Dyspraxia - Difficulty in using motor skills.
*Expressive and Receptive Language Disorders - Processing and making spoken words.
*Visual Processing Disorder - Difficulty processing details seen or recognized.

Learning disabilities should be taken seriously, and should be addressed thoroughly at the time of diagnosis. Parents should work with schools to develop a plan (Individul Education Plan) to best serve the child with this disability. Special teachers may have suggestions and educational advocates can help you make informed decisions for academic placements. According to the National Institute of Health , every one in seven people have a learning disability. 80% of those with learning disabilites have difficulty reading. Tom Cruise, Whoopi Goldberg, Walt Disney and Albert Einstein can all be included as famous individuals who deal (or have dealt) with having these disabilities. American Idol Fantasia even wrote a book about the subject. If you need to find help for your child with an LD, you can visit www.ldonline.org for resources. Remember, your child will have the LD for life, but it is not the end of the world. With the proper assistance, and love and support , he or she CAN and WILL succeed.

Learn more about this author, Elise Warren.
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