In this blog, we’ll focus on the seven main types of learning disabilities and look at how prevalent they are, their main symptoms, and how to support them.
- Dyslexia
- Dyspraxia
- Dyscalculia
- Dysgraphia
- Language Processing Disorder (LPD)
- Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
- Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD)
1. Dyslexia
Dyslexia causes reading and writing difficulties by causing differences in the areas of the brain that process written and spoken language.
Prevalence
- Approximately 15 percent of people worldwide have dyslexia.
- More than 40 million US adults have dyslexia, with only 2 million of them receiving a diagnosis.
- An estimated 1 in 5 Americans have dyslexia, representing as many as 90 percent of all people with learning disabilities.
Main Signs
- Skipping words while reading aloud
- Difficulty sounding out new words
- Difficulty recognizing common words (sight words)
- Slow reading rate
- Poor spelling
Ways to Support Dyslexia
- Reinforce phonemes: Learning to recognize and use the sounds that make up words
- Reinforce phonics: Understanding the letters and strings of letters that represent sounds and words
- Increase reading comprehension
- Read aloud for improved accuracy, reading rate, and fluency
2. Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia, also known as developmental coordination disorder (DCD), affects a person’s movements and coordination. This can make it more difficult to balance or use motor skills.
Prevalence
- Roughly 6 percent of people worldwide have dyspraxia.
- Dyspraxia affects around 5 percent of school-aged children. Around 2 percent of children are more severely affected.
- An estimated six to 10 percent of children have some features of dyspraxia.
Main Signs
- Frequent stumbling or tripping
- Difficulty with balance
- Difficulty in physical activities (running, skipping, jumping)
- Fine motor skills challenges (holding a pencil, tying shoelaces)
- Easily fatigued
Ways to Support Dyspraxia
- Practice fine gross and fine motor skills (cutting with scissors, writing with a pen, skipping, running)
- Use alternatives to traditional writing utensils (electronic notes, note-taking partner)
- Encourage physical activity that your child shows interest in
- Make adjustments to independent activities for easier access (velcro shoes instead of tying shoes, zippers instead of buttons, etc.)
3. Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia is a learning disorder that causes difficulties in math-based comprehension. The brain can’t process math concepts like a neurotypical brain does, leading to these problems.
Prevalence
- 3–7 percent of all children, adolescents, and adults worldwide suffer from dyscalculia.
- Up to 7 percent of elementary school students have dyscalculia in the U.S.
- 20 to 60 percent of all persons with dyscalculia also have learning difficulties of other types. (e.g., dyslexia).
Main Signs
- Difficulty counting forwards and backward
- Difficulty recognizing numbers
- Difficulty connecting numerical symbols (1) with corresponding words (one)
- Slow calculating rate (adding, subtracting)
- Easily lose track while counting
Ways to Support Dyscalculia
- Practice counting using fingers and physical objects
- Encourage talking through a mathematical problem aloud
- Use calculators and smartphone apps to aid in calculating
- Provide extra time to work on mathematical assignments
4. Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia is a neurological disorder that causes writing difficulties. Individuals with this condition typically struggle to write correctly, with their words appearing distorted or incorrect.
Prevalence
- Researchers estimate that 5 to 20 percent of people worldwide have dysgraphia.
- It’s estimated that students with dysgraphia make up 7 to 15 percent of students in general ed classrooms.
- Between 10 and 30 percent of children experience difficulty in writing.
Main Signs
- Difficulty writing in a straight line or staying in margins
- Difficulty using a writing utensil
- Difficulty forming letter shapes
- Difficulty differentiating between lower and upper-case letters
- Difficulty with sentence structure and grammar when writing
Ways to Support Dysgraphia
- Practice fine gross and fine motor skills (cutting with scissors, writing with a pen, skipping, running)
- Practice proper arm position and posture for writing
- Do exercises to strengthen wrist strength
- Run letter formation drills
- Practice cursive writing, which has more effortless movements than printing
5. Language Processing Disorder (LPD)
LPD is a learning disability characterized by difficulties understanding and expressing thoughts and processing spoken and written language. This can make it challenging to convey communication to others effectively.
Prevalence
- An estimated 5 to 10 percent of people in the U.S. have a speech or language disorder.
- 5 percent of children in the US have some type of language processing disorder.
- In the academic year of 2020/21, there were approximately 1.35 million 3 to 21 year olds with speech or language impairments in the United States.
Main Signs
- Delayed vocabulary development
- Difficulty coming up with the correct word using general language (e.g., “the thing”)
- Difficulty listening and understanding speech in loud environments
- Difficulty with following directions
- Difficulty distinguishing between similar-sounding words and sounds
Ways to Support LPD
- Reinforce phonemes: Learning to recognize and use the sounds that make up words
- Reinforce phonics: Understanding the letters and strings of letters that represent sounds and words
- Provide a quiet environment for learning
- Encourage reading and listening to books to increase vocabulary
6. Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Auditory processing disorder affects a person’s auditory system and causes distortions in hearing. A person’s brain may interpret auditory information incorrectly and hear other peoples’ words and sentences differently.
Prevalence
- Approximately 5 percent of school-age children have some type of auditory processing disorder.
- In children with learning difficulties the prevalence of auditory processing disorder has been found to be 43 percent.
- Only around 3-4 percent of the population truly having APD.
Main Signs
- High sensitivity to sound
- Difficulty listening and understanding in loud environments
- Difficulty following verbal directions, especially multi-step
- Easily distracted by loud or sudden noises, difficulty paying attention
- Difficulty distinguishing between similar-sounding words and sounds
Ways to Support APD
- Provide visual instructions and learning (pictures and text)
- Repeat or rephrase words and sentences
- Provide a quiet environment for learning
- Talk face to face rather than over phone, text, or email
7. Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD)
People with nonverbal learning disabilities NVLD experience challenges with their motor, visual-spatial, and social skills. Things like social cues and abstract thinking don’t often come naturally, negatively impacting the person’s day-to-day living.
Prevalence
- As many as 1 in 25 children and adolescents in the U.S. and Canada may have nonverbal learning disability.
- 2.2 million to 2.9 million U.S. children and adolescents were estimated to have NVLD.
- The population prevalence of NVLD was estimated to range from 3 to 4 percent.
Main Signs
- Difficulty reading non-verbal social cues (facial expressions, body language)
- Difficulty recognizing sarcasm
- Difficulties with reading other people’s emotions
- Difficulty processing visual information
- Difficulty processing spatial relationships and distance
- Poor physical coordination
Ways to Support NVLD
- Use alternative forms of communication (language systems, sign language, hand gestures)
- Take part in social skill groups
- Provide clear instructions
- Avoid sarcasm, idioms, and varying tones
Prevalence of Learning Disabilities
| Learning Disabilities | Percent of Population |
|---|---|
| Dyslexia | 15% (Globally) |
| Dyspraxia | 6% (Globally) |
| Dyscalculia | 3-7% (Globally) |
| Dysgraphia | 5-20% (Globally) |
| LPD | 5-10% (Nationally) |
| APD | 3-4% (Globally) |
| NVLD | 2.2-2.9 million U.S. children and adolescents |
