Learning Disabilities: Fact or Fiction

A learning disability is characterized by significant difficulty in reading, math, writing, speaking, listening or reasoning that is not associated with another disorder. 

1. Fact:  1 in 5 Americans have a learning disability.  Learning disabilities are more common than most people realize.  (U.S. Department of Education 2010)

2.  Fiction:  If you have a learning disability you automatically have low intelligence.  This is completely untrue. Many very intelligent people have learning disabilities.  Having a learning disability does not make you less intelligent, it makes doing specific things more difficult for you. 

3.  Fact:  ADHD can impede learning, but it is not considered a learning disability. 

4.  Fiction:  You can grow out of a learning disability.  Unfortunately, this is not true. If you truly have a learning disability you will have it your entire life.  People with learning disabilities, learn coping strategies so that they can compensate during these difficult tasks. 

5.  Fact:   20% of learning disabled children do not complete high school.  This is a very upsetting statistic.

6.  Fiction:  Only children have learning disabilities.  Not true, it is not something that is cured or you grow out of, you have it for a lifetime.

7.  Fact:  A poor diet does not cause learning disabilities.

8.  Fiction:  Having a learning disability means you are lazy.  Absolutely not true! People with learning disabilities find specific academic tasks challenging.  It does NOT mean they are lazy. 

9.  Fact:  If you have a learning disability, you can learn. You just learn and process information in a different way.

10.  Fiction:  If you put your child on medication, you will cure the learning disability.  This is not true.  Medication does not cure a learning disability, it can help greatly with other disorders.                         


If you think your child has a learning disability the first step is to contact your child's teacher and discuss your concerns.  Your child's teacher can give you a better idea of where your child is performing, whether it is above, below or on grade level. 


Disclaimer:   This blog is for informational purposes only and is not intended for diagnosis or treatment.    ​