Types of Learning Disabilities

There are other 13 categories of disability covered under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Excluding physical disabilities (affecting vision, hearing and motor function), the categories include specific learning disorders, autism spectrum disorders and emotional disturbance conditions. For now, let's just call them all learning disabilities because regardless of their technical category, the fact remains that every one of these conditions causes problems with the learning process.

Additionally, children are often diagnosed with multiple challenges. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 30 percent of children with learning disabilities also have Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

A learning disability, according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), most recently updated in 2006, is: "a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations."

The more common learning disabilities, or learning disorders, are:
Dyslexia - a language-based learning disability in which a person has trouble understanding written words. It may also be referred to as reading disability or reading disorder.

Dyscalculia - a mathematical learning disability in which a person has a difficult time solving arithmetic problems and grasping math concepts.

Dysgraphia - a writing disability in which a person finds it hard to form letters or write within a defined space.

Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders - sensory disabilities in which a person has difficulty understanding language despite normal hearing and vision.

Nonverbal Learning Disability - a neurological disorder which originates in the right hemisphere of the brain, causing problems with visual-spatial, intuitive, organizational, evaluative and holistic processing functions.

Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD)/Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) -problems with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or a combination that are out of the normal range for the child's age and development.

Conduct Disorder -a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior of violating the rights of others, or violating norms or rules; conduct is more serious than the ordinary mischief and pranks of children and adolescents.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder - obsessions (recurrent and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images that are intrusive and cause severe anxiety or distress) and/or compulsions (repetitive behaviors and rituals, like hand washing or hoarding, or mental acts, like counting, and repeating words silently) which significantly interfere with normal routine, academic functioning, usual social activities or relationships.

Autism - a complex developmental disability usually diagnosed before the age of three identified by delays in verbal and non-verbal communication skills, troubled social interactions, and difficulties with leisure or play activities.