Learning Disabilities & Education: Definitions & Topics

This is just one of MANY examples of Teaching for the differently-abled.  Back in the 1970's, I struggled with learning and my mother an early child growth and development professor noticed.  I was tested and found to have dyslexia (back then there was not a real delineation of dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia).  In our school district, they also had a program for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders that tested "Gifted and Talented" to attend a Montessori type school 3 days a week, I was also tested to be gifted.  The school district told my mother I could not be both gifted and disabled she would have to choose the program I would take advantage of.  Luckily my mother chose the gifted program, I spent 3 years learning in a more fluid environment allowing me to shine beyond written papers and standardized tests.  I told the story of the Trojan war with a hand-carved Trojan horse and stick puppets, I took photographs and developed them to show science skills, I used music to show patterns and rhythms.  Those 3 years allowed me to grow confident in my learning abilities.  School and learning have always been hard, writing and spelling a challenge but learning how to learn, awareness of my problems and spell check has seen this child who could not read a simple Dick and Jane book become a Librarian.

You will find basic definitions from websites and online reference materials and simple catalog searches for Learning Disabilities in the boxes below.  This is not a detailed search but rather designed to offer some basic information about various Learning Disabilities.