Education

5 Types of Learning Disabilities Teachers Should Know

Written by: Wilson College • Aug 26, 2024

5 Types of Learning Disabilities Teachers Should Know

In the 2022-2023 school year, approximately 2.4 million public school students (or nearly 5% of all public school students) faced specific learning disabilities, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Also, with the exception of the 2020-2021 school year, the number of public school students with specific learning disabilities has been increasing steadily since the 2013-2014 school year.

The growing number of students identified with specific learning disabilities underscores the importance of appropriate instruction that can enable those students to thrive and make the most of their education. Anyone who’s considering a degree in education can benefit from learning about various types of learning disabilities and how this knowledge can inform approaches to instruction.

What Is a Learning Disability?

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the term “specific learning disability” refers to a disorder in at least one basic psychological process that’s associated with understanding or using spoken or written language. In addition, a specific learning disability results in a student having an imperfect ability to:

Listen
Perform mathematical calculations
Read
Speak
Spell
Think
Write

Distinguishing learning disabilities from other forms of disabilities is important. For example, while blindness or behavioral disorders can be challenges for some students, they don’t fall under the category of learning disabilities.

Learning disabilities cannot be seen, and IDEA requires formal assessments to identify specific learning disabilities. In addition, having a learning disability is not a sign of low intelligence; people who have learning disabilities simply have challenges in understanding spoken or written language.

An extensive variety of factors can result in learning disabilities. Premature birth, malnutrition, traumatic brain injury, or a biological family history of learning disabilities are just a few examples of the factors that can lead students to be challenged with learning disabilities.

5 Types of Learning Disabilities

All educators need to become familiar with various types of learning disabilities and how those learning disabilities affect education. The most common examples of learning disabilities are summarized below.

1. Dyslexia

Dyslexia is the most common form of learning disability. Students with dyslexia face difficulty in reading: decoding, recognizing, and spelling words is hard for them. Furthermore, they can have trouble recognizing words that they’ve previously learned, spelled, and written.

Indications of potential dyslexia can include experiencing trouble matching letters with their sounds; beginning to talk later than other kids; having difficulty following directions; and omitting words, such as “in” and “the,” when reading.

2. Dysgraphia

When students have dysgraphia, they struggle with writing. Dysgraphia can result in students’ making errors in grammar, writing in a manner that’s unclear, and being unable to write letters neatly. Dysgraphia encompasses both weaknesses in motor skills that affect writing and cognitive challenges that can affect the ability to write.

Signs of potential dysgraphia include having trouble spacing letters and making letters the same size, experiencing fatigue when writing, and facing challenges in instilling structure and organization into writing.

3. Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a type of learning disability that affects students’ mathematical skills. When students face dyscalculia, they have difficulty performing basic calculations. They also encounter challenges in completing more complex math problems, such as word problems and mathematical processes that include many different steps.

Indications of potential dyscalculia include experiencing difficulty using numbers (such as phone numbers) outside of school, making small mathematical errors frequently, and mixing up mathematical symbols (such as plus or minus signs).

4. Nonverbal Learning Disorder

Nonverbal learning disorder (NVLD) isn’t a formal diagnosis, but it is an important disorder for teachers to understand. NVLD impairs students’ ability to recognize or understand body language and other types of nonverbal communication, as well as visual and spatial information. NVLD can cause students to encounter difficulty in social situations.

Signs of potential NVLD can include experiencing difficulty understanding the emotions of others, having trouble performing tasks that require organizational skills, and appearing uncoordinated or clumsy.

5. Auditory Processing Disorder

As with NVLD, auditory processing disorder is not a formal diagnosis, but teachers can benefit from understanding how it affects students. Auditory processing disorder impedes students’ ability to manage what they’re hearing. While students with auditory processing disorder can hear well, processing the information they hear is hard for them. Managing what they hear in loud environments is particularly difficult.

Indications of a potential auditory processing disorder include requesting that speakers repeat information, experiencing difficulty in following along during conversations, and encountering trouble distinguishing between words that sound alike.

Why It’s Important for Teachers to Understand Learning Disabilities

Whether they want to work as special education teachers or are seeking leadership positions with a Master of Education degree, educators of all kinds need to understand various types of learning disabilities. In particular, this knowledge is important because of the following:

Teachers can be the first individuals to recognize a learning disability. Frequently, teachers are the first people in students’ lives to notice indications of learning disabilities. Because of this, teachers must become familiar with the indicators of potential learning disabilities.
Teachers need to distinguish between bad behavior and learning disabilities. Having a good understanding of learning disabilities can help teachers avoid erroneously assuming that a student is behaving poorly when, in fact, the student faces a learning disability.
Teachers can coordinate with others. Teachers who are aware of students’ learning disabilities can coordinate with special education teachers and students’ parents on the best approaches for those students’ education.
Teachers who understand learning disabilities can adjust instruction appropriately. Having knowledge of learning disabilities can lead teachers to use resources such as specialized technology or educational apps for children that can accommodate learning disabilities.
Teachers who understand learning disabilities can create more inclusive classrooms. Teachers who have knowledge of learning disabilities can improve their ability to establish inclusive classrooms in which all students feel welcome.

Make a Meaningful Difference in Students’ Lives

Teachers who are familiar with different forms of learning disabilities have the opportunity to better serve students’ educational needs. Knowledge of learning disabilities helps teachers to ensure that their instruction aligns with the many ways in which students can learn.

If you want to pursue a career in education, you can explore Wilson College Online’s Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and Bachelor of Arts in Special Education degree programs to learn how those programs can help get you started in the field. Offering students expertise in strategies that can strengthen education, these programs can lay the groundwork for fulfilling careers educating children with all levels of ability.

Get started on a rewarding career in education today.

Recommended Readings

4 Special Education Careers

What Are the 4 Types of Learning Styles?

What Are the Benefits of Collaboration in Special Education?

Sources:

Child Mind Institute, Understanding Dyslexia

Child Mind Institute, “What Are the Different Kinds of Learning Disorders?”

Cleveland Clinic, Learning Disabilities and Disorders

GreatSchools, Raising a Teacher’s Awareness About LD and ADHD—Parents as Educators

Learning Disabilities Association of America, New to LD

National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics