Parents who understand the key difference between learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities can find the best possible treatment for their child.
As children with disabilities develop, they can be lumped into a single category by well-meaning caregivers and teachers. This mistake is particularly common with learning disabilities and intellectual disabilities.
Children with both kinds of disabilities can thrive academically and socially, especially when the adults in their lives accommodate their unique needs. The following information will help you understand the difference between a learning disability and an intellectual disability. You can then use this knowledge to find the right learning or intellectual disability treatment options in Little Rock for your family.
What Is a Learning Disability?
A learning disability affects a child’s ability to develop skills without affecting their overall intellectual capabilities. Children who are diagnosed with learning disabilities may have trouble reading, writing, or speaking. For example, dyslexia is a learning disability that affects a kid’s ability to read letters and numbers, while dyscalculia affects their ability to understand math problems. Learning disabilities come in many different forms and levels of severity. As a result, diagnoses and treatments for learning disabilities will be different for each child.
What Is an Intellectual Disability?
An intellectual disability affects a child’s intellectual capabilities. For example, an autism spectrum disorder can impair skills associated with social interaction, as well as verbal and nonverbal communication. As a result of an intellectual disability’s effect on overall mental functioning, it can create the same learning obstacles experienced by a kid who has a learning disability. Much like learning disabilities, diagnoses and treatment options for intellectual disabilities can vary based on the individual.
How Do Treatments Differ?
The key difference between a learning disability and an intellectual disability is the fact that learning disabilities do not affect a child’s intellectual capabilities. Instead, they affect the ways a child processes information. If a kid has been diagnosed with a learning disability, they may be able to overcome their obstacles by adapting their learning process and anticipating challenges. Diagnosis can give children, parents, and teachers a clear path toward educational goals through coping mechanisms and other adjustments.
Because intellectual disabilities affect a child’s overall intellectual capacities, they may require treatment that addresses more than just learning goals. While some intellectual skills may be learned over time, other social or self-care skills may pose lifelong challenges for kids with intellectual disabilities. They may continue to need assistance as adults, but it is possible to work toward independence through in-home or community-based care options in Little Rock. Regardless of whether your child has a learning disability or an intellectual disability, patience and persistence can lead to progress as your child explores the world and their place in it.
If you are interested in intellectual disability treatments in Little Rock, contact Integrity Inc. at 501-406-0442. For over 20 years, Integrity has been providing support services for families just like yours.