Learning Disabilities

By Nurse Diane

Albert Einstein is probably one of the most well known brilliant minds in history.  Did you know that he had a bad memory and a constant failure to memorize the simplest of things? He would not remember the months in the year yet he would succeed in solving some of the most complicated mathematical formulas of the time without any trouble. He may have never learned how to properly tie his shoelaces but his scientific contributions and theories still have a major effect on all of todays current knowledge of science.

He, along with other people such as Alexander Graham Bell, Winston Churchill, Woodrow Wilson, General George Patton, Cher, Tom Cruise, Walt Disney, Thomas Edison and many others suffered from a learning disablilty called Dyslexia.  Dyslexia is a lifelong challenge. This language-based processing disorder can hinder reading, writing, spelling, and sometimes even speaking. Dyslexia is not a sign of poor intelligence or laziness or the result of impaired hearing or vision. Children and adults with dyslexia have a neurological disorder that causes their brains to process and interpret information differently.

Another learning disorder is called Dyscalculia, problems with math.  Another disorder, Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing, which requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills. It can lead to problems with spelling, poor handwriting, and putting thoughts on paper. People with dysgraphia might have trouble organizing letters, numbers, and words on a line or page.     

Dyspraxia is a disorder that affects motor skill development. People with dyspraxia have trouble planning and completing fine motor tasks. This can vary from simple motor tasks such as waving goodbye to more complex tasks like brushing teeth. It is not a learning disability (LD) but often coexists with other LD’s and conditions that impact learning.

This month is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month. To learn more about learning disabilities, and ways for you to help, click on the site for the National Center of Learning Disabilities http://www.ncld.org/.

(All images from Google)