Unlike blindness or deafness, a learning disability is a hidden disorder. LD affects people's ability to interpret what they see and hear or to link information from different parts of the brain. LD covers a wide range of problems. It includes Attention Deficit Disorders, Dyslexia, and difficulties with academic areas such as reading, spelling, math, and writing. LD includes auditory processing and language development problems. People with learning disabilities often become disillusioned with school at a young age. Even though they are intelligent, they realize they are not doing well academically. They may have one strong area, such as mathematics, but have a weak area, such as reading or spelling. They may good at music, art, or athletics, but poor in academic areas.
Some Symptoms of a Learning Disability
Problems with attention and concentration
Easily distracted
Difficulty following instructions
Shifting from one uncompleted activity to another
Losing things necessary for a task
Making lots of clicks, whistles, and other sounds
Having a "defeatist" attitude about academics
Feeling "dumb"
Difficulties with math, reading recognition, reading comprehension, spelling, writing, drawing, and other subjects
Difficulty remembering what you hear
Difficulty remembering what you see
Poor language development
Giving up easily on academic tasks
Not reading for pleasure
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What is Dyslexia?
Dyslexia means "reading problem". There are different types of dyslexia including poor reading comprehension, poor sight reading, poor fluency, light sensitivity problems, poor phonetic skills, reversing words ("saw" for "was"). Spelling and writing skills may be affected.
A unique form of dyslexia is called Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome (SSS). SSS may include some (or) should be (of) the following symptoms:
Skipping words or lines when reading
Re-reading lines
Losing your place when reading
Easily distracted when reading
Need to take frequent breaks when reading
Reading becoming more difficult the longer you read
Headaches when reading
Eyes become red or watery
Getting tired easily when reading
Blinking or squinting frequently when reading
Preferring to read in a dim light because bright lights hurt your eyes
Reading with face close to the page
Using your finger or marker when reading
Becoming restless, active or fidgety while reading
Poor depth perception and clumsiness with escalators, stairs, ball sports or driving
Strain or fatigue from computer use
Sloppy or careless math errors
Misaligned numbers in columns
If a person has Scotopic Sensitivity they may be helped by using a colored plastic overlay to be placed on reading material or the use of colored filtered lenses.
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What is an Attention Deficit Disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
It is a biologically based developmental problem that affects attention, activity, and impulse control. It may include hyperactivity (ADHD) or not (ADD). Many people with ADD or ADHD also have learning problems. Some people diagnosed with ADD or ADHD may actually have a different problem such as depression or bi-polar disorder which has similar symptoms to ADD or ADHD. That is why it is important to have a comprehensive evaluation and not just rely on questionnaires and interviews.
Some Symptoms of ADD or ADHD
Fidgeting or squirming
Easily distracted
Difficulty waiting in games or in lines
Blurting out answers
Difficulty following instructions
Shifting from one uncompleted activity to another
Talking excessively
Interrupting or intruding on others
Losing or misplacing things necessary for task completion
Engaging in physically dangerous activities
Not being able to sit for more than a few minutes
Body parts always moving
Quickly bored
Has to be doing things to occupy self while sitting
Reacting without thinking
Moody, unpredictable, quick to anger/cry
Argues and gripes about the rules. Wants to be the exception
All contacts with the Boise Psychological Center are confidential, except in situations where laws or ethics require notification of a family member or others. Boise Psychological Center does not release any information regarding testing, testing results, whether a patient has used our services nor matters discussed in counseling.
Unlike blindness or deafness, a learning disability is a hidden disorder. LD affects people's ability to interpret what they see and hear or to link information from different parts of the brain. LD covers a wide range of problems. It includes Attention Deficit Disorders, Dyslexia, and difficulties with academic areas such as reading, spelling, math, and writing. LD includes auditory processing and language development problems. People with learning disabilities often become disillusioned with school at a young age. Even though they are intelligent, they realize they are not doing well academically. They may have one strong area, such as mathematics, but have a weak area, such as reading or spelling. They may good at music, art, or athletics, but poor in academic areas. 
Skipping words or lines when reading
Some Symptoms of ADD or ADHD