Specific learning disability is a medical term defined by DSM-4 used for the classification of children with specific disorders. Educational systems more commonly use the term learning disorder.
The recognized conditions that lead to the diagnosis of a specific learning disorder include:
- Dyslexia – some degree of impairment in reading It is often associated with other neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD.
- Dysgraphia – some difficulties with writing down thoughts on paper as well as difficulties with spelling, grammar, punctuation, and handwriting
- Dyscalculia – difficulties performing math calculations with symbols and functions and learning number-related concepts
For all three, degrees of the disorder are categorized as mild, moderate and severe.
Someone diagnosed as having one of these specific learning disorders does not necessarily have a mental disability
ADHD is categorized under “Other health impaired,” which is not considered a Specific Learning Disability or learning disorder. Still, a child with ADHD becomes entitled to benefits under IDEA when their condition significantly interferes with their educational performance, making a student eligible to receive special education services.
