This month brings us the opportunity to shine a light on learning disabilities, and more importantly, the incredible talents and skills of the individuals who live with them. At Innovative Behavior Options, we love having this opportunity to teach the people around us something new about learning disabilities and to celebrate all of our wonderful clients with learning disabilities who excel every day.
What is a Learning Disability?
A learning disability is a neurological disorder that affects how a person perceives information. Learning disabilities are lifelong, so they affect both children and adults. People with learning disabilities generally have difficulty with reading, writing, or math, but life skills, such as organization, time management, and attention can be affected, too.
It’s important to remember that people with learning disabilities aren’t any less smart than their peers! People with learning disabilities receive and process information differently, so academic tasks, such as studying for an exam, can be much more difficult. Fortunately, there are some practices and strategies, including ABA therapy, that individuals can learn to help address some of the challenges.
Types of Learning Disabilities
There are several different kinds of learning disabilities, and we’ll look at a few of the more common ones. It’s important to note, though, that learning disabilities should not be confused with other disabilities such as autism, intellectual disabilities, or ADHD (although ADHD and learning disabilities do often co-occur).
Dyslexia is a language-based disability that affects how a person’s brain processes written words. Individuals with dyslexia usually have difficulty with reading and writing.
Dysgraphia affects a person’s ability to write. People with dysgraphia often have a difficult time with handwriting, including forming letters, spacing words, and spelling.
Dyscalculia is a math-related learning disability that usually results in difficulty grasping math and number concepts, such as solving arithmetic problems, counting, and telling time.
Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders are sensory disabilities that cause individuals to have difficulty processing written or spoken language despite normal hearing and vision function.
Can ABA therapy help address learning disabilities?
Yes! Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is, in part, the scientific approach to facilitating learning! ABA therapy sets up a structured environment to teach children how to learn. It can be used to develop basic skills, such as listening, and more complex skills, such as reading.
At Innovative Behavior Options, ABA therapy is individualized for each person to address specific skills, needs, and goals. Complex skills are broken down into small steps to allow a person to learn a skill in stages. Because of its evidence-based approach, ABA therapy is recommended and supported by the Surgeon General and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
We embrace and celebrate differences of all kinds at Innovative Behavior Options, and we love helping our clients with learning disabilities excel. If you think ABA therapy could benefit you or your child—or if you just want to learn more—stop by our Roswell office or check out our website.