A Learning Disability (formerly known as a Mental Handicap and referred to as an Intellectual Disability) is a type of DISABILITY.
A Learning Disability usually has a significant impact on a PERSON's life. A PERSON with a Learning Disability finds it harder than others to learn, understand and communicate.
People with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities need full-time help with every aspect of their lives, including eating, drinking, washing, dressing and toileting etc.
Someone is considered to have a Learning Disability when they function at a level of intellectual ability which is significantly lower than their chronological age. This is usually considered to be equivalent to having an Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of seventy or less:
- Mild Learning Disability (roughly equivalent to an IQ of fifty to seventy) is comparable to the educational term 'Moderate Learning Difficulty'. It is usually caused by a combination of restricted learning and social opportunities plus a high rate of low to average intellectual ability and Learning Disability in close relatives.
- Moderate-to-profound Learning Disability (roughly equivalent to an IQ below fifty) is comparable to the educational term 'Severe Learning Difficulty'. It usually has a specific biological cause.
Note: A Learning Difficulty is a type of Special Education Need which affects areas of learning, such as reading, writing, spelling, mathematics etc.
Further information on Learning Disabilities, can be found on the internet, for example:
This supporting information is also known by these names:
| Context | Alias |
|---|---|
| formerly | Mental Handicap |
| alsoknownas | Intellectual Disability |
| plural | Learning Disabilities |