How are Learning Disabilities Different from Dyslexia?

(From: Bridges to Practice Newsletter: "Practitioners Points," Volume 1, Issue 2)

Dyslexia is a form of a learning disability that is often a misunderstood term among the general population. The common elements found in the definition of learning disabilities include:

• a problem in the central nervous system
• present at any age, and
• causes problems in understanding spoken or written language.

By contrast, dyslexia is a language-based disorder that affects the person's ability to read, write, and spell.

Dyslexia is not outgrown and it is not:

• a developmental disability
• a sensory impairment
• a problem related to intelligence or
• a vision problem.

Characteristics of an individual with dyslexia include:

• deficits in phonetic processing
• unexpected difficulties with single word decoding and
• conspicuous problems in reading, writing, and spelling.

"The consequences of learning disabilities for adults can be both positive and negative. From a positive viewpoint, a learning disability can lead to experiences that allow an individual to look at the world from novel perspectives, and can enhance his or her life-skill repertoire. From a negative perspective, society's inability to see differences as an asset instead of a liability can seriously impede an individual's success in life."

(National Adult Literacy & Learning Disabilities Center, Bridges to Practice, Guidebook 1).