Questions?
Definitions of different types of disabilities can be found on the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada website in the “Learn More” section
What Are Learning Disabilities?
Learning disabilities refer to a number of disorders which can affect how a person acquires, organizes, retains, understands or uses verbal or nonverbal information. It is estimated that 80% of learning disabilities affect literacy.
Learning disabilities range in severity and may interfere with the acquisition and use of one or more of the following:
- Oral language including listening, speaking and understanding
- Reading including word recognition and comprehension
- Written language
- Mathematics
Learning disabilities are suspected when a person unexpectedly under-achieves at school or can only achieve with unusually high levels of effort and support.
Individuals with learning disabilities may also have difficulties with organizational and social skills.
People with learning disabilities have average to above average intellect and reasoning and are fully able to learn, given the right intervention.
The impact of learning disabilities changes over the course of a person’s life. These changes are affected by a person’s strengths and needs and the manner in which they interact with their environment.
What Causes Learning Disabilities?
The causes of learning disabilities are unknown, although current research indicates it is a neurological condition which is also hereditary in nature.
Learning disabilities are not caused by lack of motivation or poor teaching, although these factors may further complicate the challenges faced by individuals with learning disabilities.
Learning disabilities often co-exist with other neurological or health conditions, lending complexity to the issue.
When Can Learning Disabilities be Identified?
Learning disabilities can be identified across the lifespan, including children of pre-school age.
The mechanisms to identify learning disabilities should be appropriate to a person’s age and circumstance.
Identification of learning disabilities can be of vital importance in providing an individual with self knowledge and insight into why they may struggle or find particular tasks difficult.
What Support Exists for People with Learning Disabilities?
Effective interventions exist to support individuals with learning disabilities to learn and thrive.
Every person with learning disabilities is unique in the co-existing conditions which they may have, along with their strengths, aptitudes, learning challenges, and environment. As well, intervention is not solely an educational issue, as the impact of learning disabilities are interwoven into many aspects of daily life.
For this reason, intervention must be differentiated to address a person’s unique set of needs. This lends to the complexity of designing and delivering effective intervention.
How Many People Have Learning Disabilities?
Conservative estimates of learning disabilities place its incidence at 1 in every 10 people. Emerging research suggests that the incidence level is closer to 1 out of every 8 people.
- Based on population figures for 2008,[1] between 326,000 to 651,000 Albertans have neurologically based learning challenges more commonly defined as learning disabilities.
- Approximately 67,000 to 133,200 Albertans with learning disabilities fall into the school age population.
[1] Source: Finance and Enterprise Statistics, Government of Alberta, Compiled from 2006 Census of Canada
- A study completed in 2007 by the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta estimates there are more than 44,000 people in the David Thomson Health Region who have a learning disability. 42% of these people are 24 years of age or younger.
- Approximately 15,000 people in the Central Alberta region are diagnosed with AD/HD, 15-20% of which also have been diagnosed with a learning disability.
The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) released a 2007 report, Putting A Canadian Face on Learning Disabilities (PACFOLD) about the impact of learning disabilities on the communities. For more information, please visit www.pacfold.ca
