LD Definition
What is a Learning Disability?
A learning disability (LD) is a permanent condition which affects how people with average or above average intelligence take in, store, or express information. Although their overall intelligence is high and they can do many things, one or more significant processing deficits cause academic difficulties. Like interference on the radio or a fuzzy TV picture, incoming or outgoing information may become scrambled as it travels between the eye, ear, or body, and the brain.
Students with LD have strengths and weaknesses. Some may learn well by listening, while others are visual or hands-on learners. Reading or writing could be difficult for some, while math or organization may be affected for others.
It is important to identify what learning disabilities are NOT. Because the definition specifies that the person must have at least average intelligence, learning disabilities are not a form of mental retardation. They are not related to physical disabilities, psychological or emotional disorders, and they are not the result of cultural or ethnic differences. Students who are underprepared for college or who are still learning English may experience some of the same difficulties in school as those with LD, but their problems are not the result of a processing deficit, so they are not eligible for learning disability assistance.