Commonly Asked Questions
About Learning Disabilities

What is a Learning Disability?

A learning disability is a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations.

The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia.

The term DOES NOT include persons who have learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural or economic disadvantage.

Joe Torgensen, Professor of Psychology at Florida State University, writes, "The core of learning disabilities is a biologically-based problem that occurs across cultural and socio­economic groups. If you're an adult with a learning disability, you've had it your whole life. It has nothing to do with levels of general intelligence. It only affects a small group of things, but sometimes that range of things can be devastating, like reading problems."

How may learning disabilities manifest themselves in the classroom?

Adults with learning disabilities may:

• have had restricted educational/training opportunities in the past
• have experienced limited vocation options
• feel isolated at work and in the community
• exhibit a poor self-concept
• experience an inferior quality of life
• be caught in a cycle of failure, lack of motivation, frustration and fear of risk-taking.

On the other hand, adults with learning disabilities may have:

• Superior problem-solving skills. Since successful adults with learning disabilities must often seek creative solutions that are "outside the box," they develop skills to construct imaginative answers to difficult problems.
• An out-going personality. As a result of their history of failure, many adults with learning disabilities develop gregarious personalities to help hide their learning problems.
• Strong compensatory skills. Individuals with learning disabilities often compensate for literacy deficits by developing strong skills in other areas.
• Empathy. Because they can relate to the pain of failure, adults with learning disabilities can often provide strong emotional support to others going through crisis.
• Persistence. Persistence is the hallmark of many adults with learning disabilities who have refused to give up despite their difficulties and frustrations. If channeled appropriately, this experience can contribute to an active sense of dedication and purpose.