Learning Disorders: Relationship to Other Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Specific learning disorder (SLD) is a class of neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) that affects the way the brain processes information. Specific learning disorder leads to impairments in an individual’s ability to develop or utilize academic skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Notably, the impairments seen in SLD cannot be attributable to an intellectual disability (ID) (i.e., deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning), but instead reflect persistent difficulty learning foundational academic skills.

This entry explores the prevalence of NDDs and SLD specifically, as well as how SLD can impact the cognitive profile of individuals experiencing additional NDDs at the same time as an SLD (i.e., comorbid diagnoses). It further addresses the difficulties of diagnosing SLD in individuals with comorbid NDDs, as well as how therapies and treatments for ...