What are Specific Learning Disabilities?

Learning disabilities are present when people have difficulty retaining or processing new concepts as a result of the malfunction of the communication between the brain and other body parts like the eyes and ears. A person cannot control the disability even if he or she is motivated to change. A specific learning disability typically affects one aspect of learning, so someone may have trouble with verbal skills, problem solving, math, or reading depending on which area of the brain is not processing information correctly. There are no definitive causes of specific learning disabilities, but they may be due to genetics, developmental delays as a fetus, or head trauma as a young child.

Dyslexia is one of most common types of specific learning disabilities. It causes the brain to not correctly process the order of letters or words. A person with the disability has challenges trying to comprehend written words because he or she may see the letters as being in a different arrangement than they actually are. The disability can make differentiating the difference between left and right difficult as well, so a person may have also have trouble finding locations even with specific instructions.

Dyscalculia is a specific learning disability that affects the ability to comprehend mathematic skills and symbols. In addition to having difficulty solving mathematical problems, dyscalculia may make a person not able to adequately understand time or schedules. Dyscalculia also can cause difficulty with logic and problem solving. For example, a small child with dyscalculia may not understand that he or she cannot place a square object into a round opening.

Dyspraxia causes difficulty with motor skills, such as movement, speech, or judging distances. A person with this disability may not have the necessary motor skills to perform basic tasks, like dressing him or herself because he or she cannot comprehend the different steps it takes to complete it. It may be challenging for a person with dyspraxia to talk or pronounce sounds correctly or accurately judge the volume of his or her voice because his or her brain does not adequately communicate to the mouth or ears.

People with specific learning disabilities may have to alter their learning techniques in order to process new concepts. For example, if a person has dyslexia, he or she may have an easier time learning new ideas or absorbing information by using audio tapes instead of reading printed words. Specific learning disabilities vary greatly depending on the individual, so a person may need to work with a specialist to determine how to best cope with his or her disability.