Learning Disabilities

Considering the confusion that surrounds it, it is not surprising that learning disabilities have undergone a “history” of labels, from brain damaged, language delayed, to the term coined by Kirk (1962) used today. The major confusion arises because the signs of LD are numerous, not all symptoms are present in each individual, symptoms express themselves differently both within and across age groups, LD is often associated, or concurrent with other disorders, and most bewilderingly, while having great difficulty in one area of learning, some LD students may even excel in another (Smith et al, 2001). The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada summarizes this heterogeneous group of disorders as:

due to identifiable or inferred central nervous system dysfunction … that affect the

acquisition, retention, understanding, organization or use of verbal and/or non-verbal

information. (1987).

Learning disabilities are not intellectual disabilities, but rather are a result of processing problems, which can interfere with thinking, listening, talking, reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, arithmetic, and social skills, all of which create a gap between ability and performance (LDAO, 2002). Identification is difficult as not all symptoms are visible, nor are they present in all students; as alluded to, the expression of LD in the classroom is quite wide, and the following symptom guide adapted from LD Online is not exhaustive:

may make many mistakes when reading aloud, and repeat and pause often
may not understand what he or she reads
may have trouble with spelling
may struggle to express ideas in writing
may have trouble understanding jokes, comic strips, and sarcasm
may have trouble following directions
may confuse math symbols and misread numbers

Predictably, the difficulty they are experiencing in academic areas often leads to frustration and low self-esteem. This situation is particularly difficult for LD students, who have normal levels of intelligence, but are somehow unable to achieve (Smith et al, 2001).

REFERENCES

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Kirk, S. A. (1962). In Smith et al, (2001).

Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (1987). In Smith et al, (2001).

Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario (2002). www.ldao.on.ca

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(Assessment and Teaching). Toronto: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.

Ontario Ministry of Education (2002). Standards for School Board Special Education

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Smith, T., Polloway, E., Patton, H., Dowdy, C. & Heath, N. (2001) Teaching students

with special needs in inclusive settings. Toronto: Pearson Education Canada Inc.