Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Developmental Coordination Disorder

Learning Disabilities (LD)

  • Definition: LD is defined as a disorder in one or more basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written. This can manifest as difficulties in listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, or mathematical calculations.
  • Historical Context: Historically, various terms have been used to describe LD. The federal definition includes conditions like perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. However, it excludes learning problems primarily resulting from visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, mental retardation, emotional disturbance, or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage.
  • Key Terms:
    • Dyslexia: A severe reading disorder of neurological origin.
    • Aphasia: Impairment of the ability to communicate, presumed to be of neurological origin. Includes dysgraphia (writing disorder), dyscalculia (math disorder), and amnesia (memory disorder).
  • Diagnostic Criteria:
    • An IQ of 70 or higher.
    • A severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and academic achievement in one or more areas (1.5 or more standard deviations below average).
  • Motor Disabilities: U.S. law does not recognize motor disabilities as sufficient for LD diagnosis. However, many believe individuals with LD have more movement-related problems that need intensive work.
  • DCD: Developmental coordination disorder is now considered a separate, concomitant condition.
  • Diversity: LD profiles vary widely, ranging from below-average performance in all subjects to gifted performance in all but one.

Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD)

  • Recognition: DCD was officially recognized by the APA and WHO in the late 1980s but is ignored by IDEA.
  • Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV-TR):
    • Performance in daily activities requiring motor coordination is substantially below expected levels given the person's age and intelligence. Manifestations include delays in motor milestones, clumsiness, poor sports performance, or poor handwriting.
    • The condition significantly interferes with academic achievement or daily living activities.
    • The condition is not caused by a general medical disorder (e.g., cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy) or pervasive developmental disorder.
    • If mental retardation is present, motor difficulties exceed those usually associated with it.
  • Lifelong Issue: DCD is generally a lifetime problem, not just a developmental phase.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

  • Definition: A persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that is more frequent and severe than typically observed in individuals at a comparable level of development.
  • Diagnostic Requirement: Some hyperactive-impulsive or inattentive symptoms that cause impairment must be present before age 7.
  • IDEA Eligibility: ADHD and ADD are eligible conditions for services under the