Definition of the word learning disability

The term "learning disability" (LD) first gained popularity in the United States during the 1960s, as part of a shift towards recognizing and addressing learning challenges in children. Prior to this, individuals with learning difficulties were often labeled as "slow learners" or "mentally retarded," without consideration for the specific nature of their difficulties. The LD movement emerged in response to this lack of understanding and support for children with learning challenges, and sought to promote more accurate and meaningful diagnoses and interventions. The term "learning disability" itself emphasizes that there is not necessarily anything inherently wrong with the individual's intelligence or cognitive ability, but rather an atypical way of learning or processing information. In technical terms, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines LD as "a condition where a person has a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia." This definition highlights the complexity and heterogeneity of LD, and underscores the importance of individualized assessments and interventions for each person with an LD.