Is an Attention Deficit Disorder a Learning Disability?

This question is difficult to answer, probably because so many people really don't know what these two disorders are, and they don't realize that they are very different disorders diagnosed in very different ways. The confusion lies in the fact that most people think that anyone who has trouble being successful in school must have a learning disability. To them LD covers everything. If we could teach the world the facts about LD and AD/HD, then I'm sure there would be a dramatic increase in the number of people interested. The fact is that both disorders affect an individual's performance.

Generally speaking, these are the groups with the most interest: (a) parents who have a child who is struggling to learn and perform, (b) teachers who are seriously concerned about the strugglers, (c) the children, teenagers and university students who have diagnoses, (d) adults who have diagnoses, and (e) employers who have workers with difficulties. Then, (f) there are the people like me who through education, experience, and motivation continually seek ways to support, counsel, and teach all of the above individuals how to cope with their problems.
One becomes far more interested when LD and AD/HD are understood, even with a basic understanding of the following information.

Learning Disabilities:

There is a problem processing information. We receive information through our senses, organize it, store it, recall it, and use it. When you have a learning disability, one or more of these areas functions well below average.

To diagnose a learning disability, two things must be proven. (a) The person has at least average intellectual ability, and (b) The person's performance in one or more areas, such as reading, writing, mathematics, fine motor skills, and others, is at least one and a half years behind expectations for his/her age and grade level.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

There is a problem with behaviour in one or more of these areas:

Attention: The person is highly distracted by sights, or sounds, or thoughts.
Impulsivity: The person often speaks or acts immediately on impulse.
Hyperactivity: The person is often fidgety and in motion as if driven by a motor.
Diagnosis proves that the problem occurs 24 hours a day in all situations.

Interestingly, all of us exhibit some of these symptoms and behaviours to a minor extent. I have been diagnosed with ADD as a result of my thoughts constantly interfering with my focus of attention.

Paul is a retired educator who started as a classroom teacher, became a specialist in special education, and worked at a provincial demonstration school for severely learning disabled students, as a provincial consultant in LD for all elementary and secondary schools, and a coordinator for a national program for adults with LD. Paul has also been a counsellor for parents, college students, and adults, and he spent 2 years working directly with struggling students in Sweden.

Paul is an accomplished speaker who is currently writing a book for teachers.

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