According to the Learning Disability Association of Canada (LDAC), learning disabilities affect one in ten individuals. Having a diagnosed (or undiagnosed) learning disability can be a frustrating experience and may impact an individual’s self-esteem and self-efficacy. One of the best websites I have encountered to understand what a learning disability is (and is not), is found at the LDAC website.
The official definition of learning disabilities, as defined by the LDAC (2002; 2015), is as follows:
“Learning Disabilities refer to a number of disorders which may affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning. As such, learning disabilities are distinct from global intellectual deficiency.
Learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include, but are not limited to: language processing; phonological processing; visual spatial processing; processing speed; memory and attention; and executive functions (e.g. planning and decision-making).
Learning disabilities range in severity and may interfere with the acquisition and use of one or more of the following:
- oral language (e.g. listening, speaking, understanding);
- reading (e.g. decoding, phonetic knowledge, word recognition, comprehension);
- written language (e.g. spelling and written expression); and
- mathematics (e.g. computation, problem solving).
Learning disabilities may also involve difficulties with organizational skills, social perception, social interaction and perspective taking.”
In their discussion on learning disabilities, the LDAC also notes that “learning disabilities are lifelong. The way in which they are expressed may vary over an individual’s lifetime, depending on the interaction between the demands of the environment and the individual’s strengths and needs. Learning disabilities are suggested by unexpected academic under-achievement or achievement which is maintained only by unusually high levels of effort and support.”
Research suggests that learning disabilities have a genetic basis, and therefore, when determining whether or not an individual has a learning disability, a thorough family history must be obtained as part of the assessment process. This occurs in the initial intake interview with the client. For school-aged children, his/her parent(s)/ guardian(s) are interviewed; and for adults, they may choose to have a partner or family member accompany them to their interview. I also ask parents or adult clients to provide copies of previous testing (including speech, occupational or physical therapy, and educational testing), as well as copies of report cards (if available). One of my colleagues has often stated that we are similar to detectives as we are looking for clues as to the source of difficulty and/or frustration, and it is important to have lots of “data” from a variety of sources. After the interview, I then schedule two to three 1:1 testing sessions with the client, typically 2 to 3 hours each in length. Upon completion of the testing, a feedback/interpretative meeting is scheduled with the client, as well as family members including parents, or spouse/partner. We then discuss the findings, diagnoses (if relevant), and the recommendations which can be implemented in the home, school, post-secondary or workplace settings. Recommendations relate specifically to the diagnosis and generally refer to the provision of accommodations (within the classroom setting and for tests/exams), specific skill instruction, and strategies.
One of the other important facts we know about learning disabilities is that they can co-exist with a variety of other conditions, such as giftedness, AD/HD, emotional struggles (e.g., anxiety, depression), and other neurodevelopmental and/or medical conditions (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder, Tourette Syndrome, etc.).
If you suspect either you or your child have a Learning Disability, you may wish to refer to the publication for Learning Disabilities published by Alberta Education (2002).
This publication provides guidance for school-aged students, as well as parents, and includes a discussion on the development of Individual Program Plans (IPPs) which are required once a school-age individual is diagnosed with a Learning Disability.