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In the United States, estimates show that 3.4 million children younger than 13 years old have learning disabilities. Years ago, the catchall term was, "dyslexia," a reading disability that involves switching around letters and words. But today, we know that dyslexia is only one of many learning disorders that can involve reading, writing, speaking, concentrating, listening, and doing math. And it isn't unusual for a child to have several learning disabilities at the same time.

Learning disabilities may not be apparent in children younger than 8 years old, making it difficult to identify problems in the early grades. A lot of cases aren't picked up until a child is between the 6th and 12 grades. Parents should be aware that certain signs suggest their child could have a learning disability: difficulty, avoidance, or extreme dislike of reading, writing, or doing math problems, poor handwriting, difficulty putting information in order, difficulty understanding abstract concepts, difficulty with language, such as following oral directions or remembering words or memory problems.

Unfortunately, many children with learning disabilities get pegged by teachers or parents as being "lazy." The fact is, children who have learning disabilities have average to above-average intelligence and are often very bright. And many are able to work around their disability for years. For example, those who have trouble reading but are auditory learners might depend on lectures to learn.

A learning disability refers to a significant difference between a person's ability or IQ and their performance in a certain area, a disparity that makes it difficult to succeed in a normal school setting. As a result, children with learning disabilities often have low self-esteem and self-confidence which can lead to lack of motivation, withdrawal, anxiety, depression or stress.

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Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Vision