learning disability

learning disability

n. Abbr. LD

A disorder in the basic cognitive and psychological processes involved in using language or performing mathematical calculations, affecting persons of normal intelligence, and not the result of emotional disturbance or impairment of sight or hearing. Also called learning disorder.

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learning-dis·abled adj.

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learning disability,

an abnormal condition often affecting children of normal or above-average intelligence, characterized by difficulty in learning such fundamental procedures as reading, writing, and numeric calculation. The condition may result from psychologic or organic causes and is usually related to slow development of perceptual motor skills. See also attention deficit disorder, dysgraphia, dyslexia.

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learning,

n the process of acquiring knowledge or some skill by means of study, practice, and/or experience.

learning disability,

n an inability to learn at a rate comparable to most members of a peer group. Some learning disorders have been traced to nutritional and behavioral causes, others stem from trauma or disease, and still others have genetic origins.

learning domains,

n.pl the three spheres of learning–cognitive, affective, and psychomotor–that must be addressed by a teacher in order to influence behavioral change on the part of the learner. May be applied to the teaching of disease control.

learning-ladder continuum

(kntin´ūm),
n theory suggesting that learning takes place in sequential steps beginning with ignorance and culminating with habit. The process may be applied to the teaching of effective plaque control.

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learning disability

Psychiatry A suboptimal ability to read–dyslexia, write–dysgraphia, perform mathematical operations–dyscalculia, or other cognitive skills in a child of presumed normal intelligence. See ADD, Dyslexia, Minimal brain dysfunction.

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Patient discussion about learning disability.

Q. Could ADHD be the reason my nine year old can not read or tell the difference between 16 and 60? My nine year old can not read or remember how to spell little words like as and on. She also has major problems with complicated sorting that other child younger then her can do. The school says it is because she is not on medication for her ADHD. She has a younger sister who has ADHD and is not on medication and she is doing well in school. Can ADHD cause all her problems or is there something else going on.

A. I have a 13-year-old child who has ADHD along with learning disabilities including an auditory processing disorder and a working memory disorder (diagnosed in 2nd grade). Not sure if the attention symptoms are because of the learning disabilities, etc. LD goes hand in hand with ADHD and vice verse. A very high percentage of people who have ADHD also have something else going on such as learning disabilities, oppositional defiance disorder, bipolar disorder, etc. My child is 13 now and has always exhibited signs of ADHD, LD and ODD. You should have your child tested at the school level for learning disabilities. Write a letter requesting testing for learning disabilities and give it to your school's principal. The school then has I believe 30 days to respond with testing.This will let you know if your child also has a learning disability going on with the ADHD. It also gives you the option of allowing your child to receive Special Education services in a resource class.