The Most Common Learning Disorders, Explained

For many years, children and adults with learning disorders were considered 'slow' or unsuited to schoolwork. Over time, the medical community realized the truth: certain individuals have medical conditions that make it more difficult for them to retain or process information. Individuals with learning disorders tend to struggle in school or certain occupations. These disorders can make it difficult for those suffering to complete tasks that many individuals find simple. The effects of learning disorders can range from difficulty in reading and writing to trouble with numbers to problems with speech and movement. Here are the most common learning disorders.

Dyslexia

By far the most common learning disorder is dyslexia, which is a disorder related to reading written or printed words. Patients who are dyslexic struggle with the process of translating the words on a page (or any other writing) into the corresponding sounds. Dyslexia patients account for around eighty to ninety percent of individuals with learning disabilities, and around twenty percent of the population is dyslexic to some degree.

It should be noted dyslexia does not represent a lack of intelligence. In fact, the specific definition is a person whose general intelligence level would allow them to read at a much higher level than they’re able to. Dyslexic individuals tend to be very slow readers, yet are often very gifted when it comes to creative thinking and reasoning tasks. Being dyslexic is a lifelong condition, but it doesn’t stop individuals from having highly successful careers and lives.

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Dysphasia Or Aphasia

Dysphasia is a condition in which a person has difficulty speaking or understanding spoken words, or perhaps both. There are several forms of dysphasia, with different symptoms and characteristics. In some forms of dysphasia, the patient struggles to speak but can speak, and can generally understand speech. In other forms, the person is completely unable to speak. In still others, the patient is unable to either speak or understand spoken words.

Aphasia is a term for the same condition and is often used interchangeably with dysphasia. Some use aphasia to mean a more severe form of dysphasia in which an individual is unable to speak at all. Currently, in the United States, the term aphasia is more favored, and dysphasia is used more elsewhere in the world. In most contexts, dysphasia or aphasia would be understood to refer to the same condition. Dysphasia is usually caused by some form of brain trauma, such as a blow to the head, stroke, or another sudden event.

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