There are a variety of learning disabilities that require special assistance in order to help children learn effectively. Special education is the practice of educating students with disabilities or special needs in an effective way that addresses their individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials, and accessible settings. Some forms of support include specialized classrooms; teacher's aides; and speech, occupational, or physical therapists. 

Special-education interventions are designed to help learners with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and their community than may be available if they were only given access to a typical classroom education. Certain laws and policies are designed to help children with learning disabilities obtain an education equivalent to their non-disabled peers. 

Types of Learning Disabilities

Intellectual Disabilities

An intellectual disability, or general learning disability, is a generalized disorder appearing before adulthood, characterized by significantly impaired cognitive functioning and deficits in two or more adaptive behaviors (such as self-help, communication, or interpersonal skills). Intellectual disabilities were previously referred to as mental retardation (MR)—though this older term is being used less frequently—which was historically defined as an intelligence quotient (IQ) score under 70. There are different levels of intellectual disability, from mild to moderate to severe.

ADHD

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is considered a type of learning disability. This disability is characterized by difficulty with focusing, paying attention, and controlling impulses. Children with ADHD may have trouble sitting in their seat and focusing on the material presented, or their distractions may keep them from fully learning and understanding the lessons. To be diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), symptoms must be observed in multiple settings for six months or more and to a degree that is much greater than others of the same age. They must also cause problems in the person's social, academic, or work life.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by limitations in language and social skills. While previously divided into different disorders, the DSM-5 now uses the term ASD to include autism, Asperger syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Language difficulties related to ASD will sometimes make it hard for the child to interact with teachers and peers or themselves in the classroom. Deficits in social skills can interfere with the development of appropriate peer relationships, and repetitive behaviors can be obsessive and interfere with a child's daily activities. Although many children with ASD display normal intelligence, they may require special support due to other symptoms of the disorder.

A child with autism stacking cans

Although many children with ASD display normal intelligence, they often require special support due to other symptoms of the disorder.

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is characterized by difficulty with learning to read or write fluently and with accurate comprehension, despite normal intelligence. This includes difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, processing speed, auditory short-term memory, and/or language skills or verbal comprehension. Dyslexia is the most recognized of reading disorders; however not all reading disorders are linked to dyslexia.

Laws for Children with Disabilities

Two laws exist to help ensure that children with learning disabilities receive the same level of education as children without disabilities: IDEA and Section 504.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides federal funding to states to be put toward the educational needs of children with disabilities. IDEA, which covers 13 categories of disability, has two main components: Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and an Individual Education Program (IEP). In addition to the disabilities listed above, IDEA covers deaf-blindness, deafness, developmental delays, hearing impairments, emotional disturbance, orthopedic or other health impairment, speech or language impairment, traumatic brain injury, and visual impairment (including blindness).

The Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) component of IDEA makes it mandatory for schools to provide free and appropriate education to all students, regardless of intellectual level and disability. FAPE is defined as an educational program that is individualized for a specific child, designed to meet that child's unique needs, and from which the child receives educational benefit. An Individual Education Program (IEP) is developed for each child who receives special education; each plan consists of individualized goals for the child to work toward, and these plans are re-evaluated annually.

IDEA also advocates for the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), which means that—to the greatest extent possible—a student who has a disability should have the opportunity to be educated with non-disabled peers, have access to the general-education curriculum, and be provided with supplementary aids and services necessary to achieve educational goals if placed in a setting with non-disabled peers.

Section 504

Section 504 is a civil-rights law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination. All students with disabilities are protected by Section 504, even if they are not provided for by IDEA. Section 504 states that schools must ensure that a student with a disability is educated among peers without disabilities. A re-evaluation is required prior to any significant changes in a child's placement, and a grievance procedure is in place for parents who may not agree with their child's educational placement.