The Learning Disabilities Association of Kentucky,
Inc. is a non-profit organization of individuals with learning differences
and attention difficulties, their parents, educators, and other service
providers. This organization has been a continuous voice in this state for
those who learn differently since 1966.
The Mission of LDA of Kentucky
is to improve outcomes for children and adults in the learning disability
community through support and advocacy.
Our Vision is that ALL
Kentuckians within the learning disability community improve their quality of
Our Goals are:
- to embrace the challenge to educate the general
public on the characteristics of learning disability, attention deficit
disorder, dyslexia, etc.
- to support parents of the individuals with learning
differences through information sharing and support.
- to make available to professionals information
that will assist them as service providers; and
- to provide direct services that will assist
those who learning differently become more productive, independent, and
self-motivated contributors to society.
What is a Learning
A learning disability is a permanent disorder which affects the manner in
which individuals with normal or often above average intelligence acquire,
retain, and express information. Such difficulties in processing information
can significantly interfere with academic and/or social development. Like
interference on the radio or a blurry TV picture, incoming or outgoing
information may become jumbled as it travels between the senses and the
Learning disabilities are usually recognized as a difficulty in one or more
of these areas: reading, comprehension, spelling, written expression,
handwriting, mathematics, oral expression, and/or problem solving. A person
with learning disabilities may also have perceptual difficulties. It is
important to remember that no two people with learning disabilities have the
same profile of strengths and weaknesses.
Learning disabilities are often not consistent. While the disability does not
ever go away, it might well manifest itself more strongly in certain settings
and/or academic areas. For instance, a student might have troubles in grade
school that seem to disappear in high school and then return in
college. A person with a learning disability might also find that his/her
disability is restricted to one area, like math or foreign languages.
Learning disability is not a generic term for having a “special need” in
school, even though it is often used that way. It is NOT autism, cerebral
palsy, sensory impairment (vision or hearing loss), mental retardation,
social or emotional disturbance. These factors can all hinder the learning
process, but are not defined as learning disabilities.
Types of Learning Disabilities
• Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)
ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER (ADD/ADHD)
AD(H)D is a disorder characterized by inappropriate degrees of attention,
impulsiveness, and/or hyperactivity. Although these areas are considered to
be core symptoms, all three characteristics are not necessarily present in
those affected. Symptoms are generally first manifested early in childhood
and may persist in varying degrees throughout adult life. The difference
between ADD and ADHD is the absence or presence of hyperactivity.
Attention deficit disorders are commonly found in the difficulty with
sustaining attention and focusing on information for long periods of time.
AD(H)D is a medical diagnosis (LD is an educational one), and people
diagnosed with AD(H)D are often prescribed medication to stabilize attention
and activity levels.
Common Learning Disabilities
Dyslexia is a reading disability typified by problems in expressive or
receptive, oral or written language. Problems may emerge in reading,
spelling, writing, speaking, or listening. People with dyslexia often show
talent in areas that require visual, spatial, and motor integration.
Dyscalculia causes people to have problems with arithmetic and grasping
mathematical concepts. While many people have problems with math, a person
with dyscalculia has a much more difficult time solving basic math problems
than his or her peers.
Dysgraphia is a writing disorder that causes people to have
difficulty forming letters or writing within a defined space. People with
this disorder need extra time and effort to write neatly. Despite their
efforts, their handwriting may be almost illegible.
Dyspraxia is a problem with the body's system of motion that interferes with a
person's ability to make a controlled or coordinated physical response in a
Central Auditory Processing Disorder
(CAPD) is a permanent disorder which
affects the manner in which people understand or remember words or sounds due
to a language processing problem in the brain. Parents and doctors can often
mistake this as a hearing problem. However, CAPD causes problems with
processing and memorizing information, not with actually hearing the
Please support the WHAS
CRUSADE FOR CHILDREN
Dyslexia is a "specific learning
disability" according to IDEA 2004
NCLB Results for Kentucky 2011