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Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities is a general term for many types of
problems, characterized by difficulties in acquisition and use of
listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, mathematical
abilities, organization, and social skills. What they have in
common is that they are within the child, in a context of a normal
level of intelligence and normal senses (such as vision and
hearing), and assumed to be from dysfunction of the central nervous
system.
A
specific learning disability is difficulty in a particular
function. It is assumed to be neurological in origin.
Because a learning disability is in function, it is referred to as a
dysfunction. When difficulties are in reading,
the term dyslexia is used. When difficulties are in
mathematics, the term dyscalculia is used. Examples of
specific learning disabilities related to language are problems with
word recognition, spelling, and/or decoding. Secondary
consequences can be problems in reading comprehension that interfere
with growth of vocabulary and knowledge.
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