Description

Learning disability: a learning disorder evident in both academic and social situations that involves one or more of the processes necessary for the proper use of spoken language or the symbols of communication, and that is characterized by a condition that:

(a) is not primarily the result of :impairment of vision, impairment of hearing, physical disability, developmental disability, primary emotional disturbance, or cultural difference;

(b) results in a significant discrepancy between academic achievement and assessed intellectual ability, with deficits in one or more of the following: receptive language (listening, reading), language processing (thinking, conceptualizing, integration), expressive language (talking, spelling, writing), mathematical computations; and

(c) may be associated with one or more conditions diagnosed as: a perceptual handicap, a brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia or developmental aphasia. (Ontario Ministry of Education)

Students with learning disabilities typically have average to above-average cognitive abilities. However, to learn and to demonstrate their knowledge and skills they may require specific teaching strategies and/or accommodations. Many students with learning disabilities are able to successfully complete Ontario Curriculum expectations and continue their learning in postsecondary institutions.

Additional Resources

(1) Ontario Curriculum Unit Planner Special Education Teacher Companion at:
     http://www.ocup.org/resources/documents/companions/speced2002.pdf

(2) Learning Disabilities Association of Canada http://www.ldac-acta.ca/

(3) Learning Disabilities Assocation of Ontario http://www.ldao.ca