Learning Disabilities vs. Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) and Autism: Key Differences and Overlaps

I want to highlight the distinction between "Learning Disability" and "Learning Difficulties".

"Learning Disability" and "Learning Difficulties" refer to unique individuals with different characteristics. In this blog, I will attempt to explain the concepts of "Learning Disability" and "Learning Difficulties" in relation to autism.

Autism is a spectrum disorder that affects individuals with varying needs. While autism itself is not classified as a learning disability, according to Autistica , about 3 in 10 people with a learning disability also have a diagnosis of autism. This may be due to differences in brain development or language and communication needs. First, let’s have a look at the differences between ‘Learning Disability’ and ‘Learning Difficulties’:

Learning disability is a lifelong condition that affects people's intellectual ability and everyday lives. According to the NHS.UK, there is no specific cause for learning disability. This could be because brain development is affected before birth, during birth, or in early childhood. Examples of causes could include a mother's illness during pregnancy, problems during birth that cause a lack of oxygen to the baby's brain, childhood illnesses such as meningitis, or genes passed from parents to the baby.

Learning difficulties refer to a limited and low ability to learn and understand new skills, subjects, or situations. Learning difficulties do not affect an individual's intellectual ability. Children with learning difficulties receive and process information differently than others. These children often fall behind their peers and may be labelled as lazy. It's important to note that these individuals are not lazy; their brains simply take more time to process and understand new skills.

I will discuss specific learning difficulties (SpLD) that affect an individual's learning and social life. Those with SpLD have differences or difficulties with specific parts of their learning, which can affect their learning and information processing.

Below are some SpLDs which can show alongside autism.;

• ADHD (Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder): ADHD is a condition which affects an individual’s behaviour and concentration. ADHD, also known as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), this term is not common these days, but some people still use ADD if the child only has a problem with concentration and is not hyperactive.

Some characteristics of ADHD are;

•  Daydreaming.
•  Hyperactivity – can be physical, verbal or emotional.
•  Fidgeting or not being able to sit still.
•  Finding it hard to take turns.
•  Difficulties of focusing on a task or project.
•  Poor time management and organisation skills.
•  Problem of following instructions and completing a task.
•  Short attention span.
•  Forgetfulness.
•  Poor working memory.
•  Finding it hard to multitask.
•  Not being able to control anger or frustration.

• Dyslexia: Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that specifically affects an individual’s reading and writing ability. It is NOT a learning disability, as it does not affect an individual’s intelligence. Dyslexic people may show different characteristics.

Some of these are;

• Finding it hard to learn new words.
•  Difficulties in matching letters and sounds. They may also see letters moving.
•  Finding it hard to spell words.
•  Finding it hard to read and write/ being slow at reading and writing.
•  Struggles with following both verbal and written instructions.
•  Poor time management.
•  Struggle to write their ideas.
•  Poor organisation skills.

• Dyspraxia: Dyspraxia also known as Developmental Co-Ordination Disorder (DCD). Dyspraxia is difficulty in controlling movements. It can affect coordination, gross and fine motor skills, and speech. Dyspraxia can also affect cognitive skills.

Some different characteristics are;

• Unusual body posture.
•  Delays in developmental milestones, e.g. crawling, walking, sitting and potty training.
•  Feeding or sleeping problems.
•  Difficulty in fine motor skills such as writing…
•  Short attention span for challenging tasks.
•  Difficulty in learning new skills.
•  Being clumsy.
•  Falling over more often.

• Dyscalculia: Dyscalculia is a condition that affects individuals' learning and understanding of numbers, symbols/ patterns, and arithmetic. Individuals with dyscalculia may find it hard to learn math. Individuals with dyscalculia may show different characteristics.

Some of these are;

• Difficulties in recognising numbers.
•  Delays in learning count.
•  Difficulty of understanding place value.
•  Difficulty in learning number bonds.
•  Forgetting maths facts.
•  Difficulty in reading clock.

• Dysgraphia: Dysgraphia is a condition that can affect an individual's handwriting skills and memory. Individuals with dysgraphia may find holding the pencil difficult and organising the letters in a line.

Possible characteristics are;

•  Poorly formed letters.
•  Difficulties in the pencil grip.
•  Difficulties in organising sentences.
•  Find it hard to write and think at the same time.
•  Skipping letters in words.
•  Poor spelling skills.

Several specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) can occur alongside autism. While individuals with these difficulties may not outgrow them, many strategies and interventions are available that can enhance these skills and improve their quality of life.

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Written by Letife Mehmet