What is a Learning Disability?

Have you ever tried to do something, but for some reason, you just can’t?  Maybe it’s dancing or playing an instrument.  Maybe it’s playing a sport or trying a new exercise - you just can’t get your body to move the way you need it to, can’t get your brain to think the way you need it to.  For me it has always been following recipes, or really, any kind of stepwise instructions (which is probably why I hated chemistry lab).  This is a small taste of what learning disabilities are like - they’re the difference between what you should be able to do and what you can actually do. 

Learning disabilities are usually defined in terms of deficits in processing and understanding and can occur in the areas of language (dyslexia, dysgraphia) and math (dyscalculia).  In a clinical setting, most learning disabilities are diagnosed when there is a significant difference (at least 30 points) between IQ (Intelligence Quotient)  and achievement.  For example, if someone has an IQ of 115 but a broad reading score on an achievement test of 85 or lower, they may be diagnosed with a learning disability in the area of reading (dyslexia).  

Why is this and what does this mean?  IQ tests measure what our brains should innately be able to do:  process and make sense of language, recognize patterns, organize visual information, use logic to solve problems, hold multiple pieces of information in our memories for a short time and use it to perform mental tasks.  Achievement tests measure what our brains can do once we put these natural abilities to use - things we cannot innately do, things that require instruction, like reading, writing, and math.  We need to be able to recognize patterns, process language, organize visual information, etc. in order to read, write, and do math, but being able to do those things is no guarantee that reading (and more broadly, language in any form), writing, or math will come easily or naturally, even with proper instruction.  This is where there may be a discrepancy between IQ (ability), and achievement (capability).