There is a common misconception that people with learning disabilities have a below average intelligence. This in fact, is very far from the truth. There are many kids and adults who have an above average intelligence, but also have a learning disability. A person with a learning disability has a hard time with the skills needed in basic academics.
The skills needed for academics are skills for reading, for listening, and skills for speaking just to start. Learning disabilities have nothing to do with an intellectual disability. Emotional disabilities along with hearing and vision problems are also not factors when it comes to diagnosing a learning disability.
One of the most common problems for kids with learning disabilities is a problem with reading. It usually starts with a delay in deciphering individual sounds and then leads to a delay in blending different sounds together. This blending leads to deciphering and sounding out words. If a student has a problem with reading it will continue to follow them throughout their years in school and will continue to hinder their ability to learn.
There are several different types of learning disabilities, but they all usually fall into one of three different categories. These categories are reading disabilities, written language disabilities, and math disabilities. Dyslexia is the most common reading disability. People with dyslexia have a hard time decoding words and recognizing individual letter.
There are also many other disabilities that are related to learning disabilities. ADHD, and other non-verbal disabilities are common in children and make it hard to get through the school day.
If you suspect your child of having a learning disabilty you should contact their school to have them evaluated. It is important to do this before they start falling behind. Once diagnosed they will be able to get the help they need to succeed.