Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsADHD and Learning DisabilitiesHow ADHD Affects LearningWhat Are Learning Disabilities?Impact of Having ADHD and a Learning DisabilityDiagnosing ADHD and a Learning DisabilityWho Can Make a Diagnosis?Treating ADHD and Learning Disabilities

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

ADHD and Learning Disabilities

How ADHD Affects Learning

What Are Learning Disabilities?

Impact of Having ADHD and a Learning Disability

Diagnosing ADHD and a Learning Disability

Who Can Make a Diagnosis?

Treating ADHD and Learning Disabilities

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Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not a learning disability; however, it does make learning difficult. For example, it is hard to learn when you struggle to focus on what your teacher is saying or when you can’t seem to be able to sit down and pay attention to a book.

At a GlanceADHD isn’t a learning disability, but ADHD can cause problems with learning and you can have both at the same time. Both cause problems with executive function, such as the ability to follow directions, stay on task, and make plans to accomplish goals. If you suspect that you or your child has ADHD and/or a learning disability, getting the right support and interventions can help them succeed, do well in school, and live well.

At a Glance

ADHD isn’t a learning disability, but ADHD can cause problems with learning and you can have both at the same time. Both cause problems with executive function, such as the ability to follow directions, stay on task, and make plans to accomplish goals. If you suspect that you or your child has ADHD and/or a learning disability, getting the right support and interventions can help them succeed, do well in school, and live well.

The Best Online Resources for ADHD We Tried and Tested

Learning involves using the brain’sexecutive functions, particularly the ability to focus, pay attention, engage with a task, and use working memory. We know that ADHD affects the executive functions of the brain.

In fact, Barkley suggests that a more accurate name for ADHD could be “Developmental Disorder of Executive Functioning.”

Many people with ADHD can struggle with learning and schoolwork because of the executive function problems related to their ADHD, yet they do not have enough of an impairment to be diagnosed with a learning disability.

When a person has co-existing conditions of ADHD and learning disability, it means they have a broad impairment of executive functions combined with the impairment of the particular skills needed for reading, writing, andmath.

Evidence suggests that kids with ADHD are more likely to have a learning disability. Kids with learning disabilities are also more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD.

On its own, ADHD can affect learning in a number of ways. In addition to reduced executive function, people with ADHD may:

It is also important to recognize that ADHD is a neurotype with benefits that can positively affect learning. For example, some people with ADHD experience hyperfocus, which allows them to focus very intensely on the topics that interest them.

Learning disabilitiesare neurological and do not reflect you or your child’s intelligence or how hard you are trying. A popular way to describe learning disabilities is that your brain is wired differently. You receive and process information in a different way!

This can come with strengths, but it can also create challenges when people are required to learn or perform like other people who don’t have learning disabilities.

Learning disabilities can make reading, writing, spelling, and math difficult. They also can affect your ability to organize and recall information, to listen and speak, and can impact your short-term and long-term memory and timing.

The term learning disabilities is a collective term for a range of specific learning challenges. Learning disabilities are not problems with learning due to vision or hearing problems, learning a second language, etc.

People with learning disabilities often have average or above-average intelligence, yet there is a discrepancy between their achievements and potential. However, with the proper support and interventions, they can close that gap and demonstrate their skills.

Examples of Learning DisabilitiesDyslexia:A disorder that affects language processing and makes reading, writing, speaking, and understanding words more challengingDyscalculia: A condition that causes problems with math, including difficulty with numbers and reasoningDysgraphia: A condition that makes it more difficult to write due to problems with memory, vocabulary, spelling, and grammarDyspraxia: A condition that causes problems with motor skillsDysphasia/Aphasia: A condition that causes impairments in speech and languageAuditory processing disorder:A condition that causes the brain to misinterpret auditory information, making it more difficult to process soundsVisual processing disorder:A condition that causes issues with the way the brain processes visual information

Examples of Learning Disabilities

Dyslexia:A disorder that affects language processing and makes reading, writing, speaking, and understanding words more challengingDyscalculia: A condition that causes problems with math, including difficulty with numbers and reasoningDysgraphia: A condition that makes it more difficult to write due to problems with memory, vocabulary, spelling, and grammarDyspraxia: A condition that causes problems with motor skillsDysphasia/Aphasia: A condition that causes impairments in speech and languageAuditory processing disorder:A condition that causes the brain to misinterpret auditory information, making it more difficult to process soundsVisual processing disorder:A condition that causes issues with the way the brain processes visual information

Learning disabilities are often discovered in school because of problems with academic work. However, their effects go beyond the classroom walls. They can impact family relationships and life at home and at work.

In addition, learning disabilities affect a child’s self-esteem. There is a general assumption that if someone is smart, they do well in school. However, this is not necessarily the case for someone who has a learning disability and ADHD.

A learning disability means a pupil experiences problems with learning and demonstrating their knowledge in the traditional way.

In addition, pupils with ADHD have difficulty conforming to neurotypical expectations in schools. For example, being able to sit still for long periods and pay attention without acting impulsively or daydreaming can be really tough for a kid with ADHD.

Kids often feel like they can’t do the tasks that other children seem to be doing easily. As a result, they can feel isolated and different.

What Is Educational Psychology?

How Are Learning Disabilities and ADHD Diagnosed?

When a person has more than one condition, it can be harder to recognize a second condition because they can mask each other. If you already have anADHD diagnosis, it can be easy to attribute all your challenges to ADHD.

It’s also important to remember that ADHD presents itself differently in everyone. The same goes for learning disabilities. This makes recognizing them harder. There is no definitive checklist that professionals can use to make a diagnosis.

Like ADHD, there is a strong genetic component to learning disabilities. If you or your partner have a learning disability, your children could have one too.

Remember, knowledge is power. Learn as much as possible about learning disabilities and ADHD. If you or your child have already been diagnosed with ADHD and are following atreatmentplan but still facing challenges, it could be that there is another condition present.

Different specialists are qualified to test and diagnose different conditions. There might be variations depending on where you live and an individual clinician’s qualification.

Treating Both ADHD and Learning Disabilities

It is important to treat both ADHD and LDs. For example, if your child is onmedicationto help with their ADHD, their learning disability problems will still persist. Or if they are receiving assistance for their LD, they will not get the full benefit if they are struggling with their focus and impulsivity.

Research has shown that getting the right diagnosis and support can help improve learning outcomes.

It is important to remember that having ADHD and a learning disability means that your brain works differently. This means that the right type of treatment and support depends on the individual and their needs.

Strategies that can help include:

Top ADHD Resources for Adults

6 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Colomer C, Berenguer C, Roselló B, Baixauli I, Miranda A.The impact of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms, and executive functions on learning behaviors of children with ADHD.Front Psychol. 2017;8:540. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00540Sahoo MK, Biswas H, Padhy SK.Psychological co-morbidity in children with specific learning disorders.J Family Med Prim Care. 2015;4(1):21-25. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.152243Kohli A, Sharma S, Padhy SK.Specific learning disabilities: Issues that remain unanswered.Indian J Psychol Med. 2018;40(5):399-405. doi:10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_86_18Erbeli F, Hart SA, Taylor J.Genetic and environmental influences on achievement outcomes based on family history of learning disabilities status[published correction appears in J Learn Disabil. 2019 Mar/Apr;52(2):NP1].J Learn Disabil. 2019;52(2):135-145. doi:10.1177/0022219418775116Jangmo A, Stålhandske A, Chang Z, et al.Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, school performance, and effect of medication.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2019;58(4):423-432. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.11.014Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4):e20192528. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528

6 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Colomer C, Berenguer C, Roselló B, Baixauli I, Miranda A.The impact of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms, and executive functions on learning behaviors of children with ADHD.Front Psychol. 2017;8:540. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00540Sahoo MK, Biswas H, Padhy SK.Psychological co-morbidity in children with specific learning disorders.J Family Med Prim Care. 2015;4(1):21-25. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.152243Kohli A, Sharma S, Padhy SK.Specific learning disabilities: Issues that remain unanswered.Indian J Psychol Med. 2018;40(5):399-405. doi:10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_86_18Erbeli F, Hart SA, Taylor J.Genetic and environmental influences on achievement outcomes based on family history of learning disabilities status[published correction appears in J Learn Disabil. 2019 Mar/Apr;52(2):NP1].J Learn Disabil. 2019;52(2):135-145. doi:10.1177/0022219418775116Jangmo A, Stålhandske A, Chang Z, et al.Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, school performance, and effect of medication.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2019;58(4):423-432. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.11.014Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4):e20192528. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Colomer C, Berenguer C, Roselló B, Baixauli I, Miranda A.The impact of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms, and executive functions on learning behaviors of children with ADHD.Front Psychol. 2017;8:540. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00540Sahoo MK, Biswas H, Padhy SK.Psychological co-morbidity in children with specific learning disorders.J Family Med Prim Care. 2015;4(1):21-25. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.152243Kohli A, Sharma S, Padhy SK.Specific learning disabilities: Issues that remain unanswered.Indian J Psychol Med. 2018;40(5):399-405. doi:10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_86_18Erbeli F, Hart SA, Taylor J.Genetic and environmental influences on achievement outcomes based on family history of learning disabilities status[published correction appears in J Learn Disabil. 2019 Mar/Apr;52(2):NP1].J Learn Disabil. 2019;52(2):135-145. doi:10.1177/0022219418775116Jangmo A, Stålhandske A, Chang Z, et al.Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, school performance, and effect of medication.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2019;58(4):423-432. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.11.014Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4):e20192528. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528

Colomer C, Berenguer C, Roselló B, Baixauli I, Miranda A.The impact of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms, and executive functions on learning behaviors of children with ADHD.Front Psychol. 2017;8:540. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00540

Sahoo MK, Biswas H, Padhy SK.Psychological co-morbidity in children with specific learning disorders.J Family Med Prim Care. 2015;4(1):21-25. doi:10.4103/2249-4863.152243

Kohli A, Sharma S, Padhy SK.Specific learning disabilities: Issues that remain unanswered.Indian J Psychol Med. 2018;40(5):399-405. doi:10.4103/IJPSYM.IJPSYM_86_18

Erbeli F, Hart SA, Taylor J.Genetic and environmental influences on achievement outcomes based on family history of learning disabilities status[published correction appears in J Learn Disabil. 2019 Mar/Apr;52(2):NP1].J Learn Disabil. 2019;52(2):135-145. doi:10.1177/0022219418775116

Jangmo A, Stålhandske A, Chang Z, et al.Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, school performance, and effect of medication.J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2019;58(4):423-432. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2018.11.014

Wolraich ML, Hagan JF, Allan C, et al.Clinical practice guideline for the diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.Pediatrics. 2019;144(4):e20192528. doi:10.1542/peds.2019-2528

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