Learning Disabilities (LD) Awareness Month

Information on Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities: An Overview will tell you what a learning disability is, the different types, and the causes.

These briefs describe the specific types of learning disabilities:

• Dyslexia (reading problems)
• Dysgraphia (writing problems)
• Dyscalculia (math problems)
• Executive Function Difficulties (problems with organization)
• ADHD (trouble regulating attention)
• Who Can Diagnose LD and ADHD

The LD OnLine glossary defines the vocabulary of special education.

The LD OnLine timeline tells the history of learning disabilities.

Fun Activities

Send an e-card to a teacher who has gone above and beyond to help a child with LD. The beginning of the school year is a great time to write something specific you appreciate.

Read a children's book and share it with a child you know. Try one of these from the Reading Rockets or LD OnLine booklists:

• Different styles/different children
• Books for children with LD or ADHD

Visit Sparktop, where kids with learning disabilities (or who learn differently) can create awesome stuff, play great games, connect with other kids and discover new ways to succeed in school and life.

Visit the LD Online kids art gallery. Encourage your child to draw or paint a picture and submit it here.

Inspirational Stories

Stories about success can inspire each of us to feel more confident in meeting the challenges of learning disabilities.

• Children's author Patricia Polacco recalls the day that her teacher discovered her dyslexia. Watch video clip
• My Son's Disability, and My Own Inability to See It. How the special education system helped her child.
• The World's Greatest Underachiever. Actor and author Henry Winkler talks about how dyslexia impacted his school years.
• Dr. Dennis Higgins teaches seven boys in New Mexico who need some unique instruction. They are "twice exceptional," which means they are both intellectually gifted and struggling to remediate an identified learning disability. Watch video clip
• Rick Lavoie talks about the importance of teaching a child with LD the necessary social skills to build solid friendships. In this excerpt from the PBS program It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend, parents learn how to plan a successful playdate. Watch video clip
• Why I Love Audio Books. Why a young person with dyslexia loves "reading" audio books.
• The Handicap that Had No Name. The story of how learning about the "label" of learning disabilities helped a college student to understand herself.
• The Journey Begins. Cary Westbrook succeeds in college and on the job despite his learning disabilities.

More Resources

To learn more about reading, writing, and learning disabilities in young children, please visit the Reading Rockets LD section.

For more in-depth information about learning disabilities, take a look at the comprehensive resources on our sister site LD OnLine.

Browse our LearningStore to discover quality educational products related to learning disabilities and ADHD, including books and videos by inspirational expert Rick Lavoie.

Find a professional, school, or product through the LD OnLine Yellow Pages nationwide directory.

History and Future of LD Awareness Month

October was originally designated in the United States as LD Month in 1985 through a proclamation by President Ronald Reagan. Learning Disabilities Association of Canada has celebrated an LD Month since 1987 and now provides a toolkit. organizations in the United States used the month to inform the public about learning disabilities through events and proclamations. In some states, LD Awareness Month is still celebrated. LD OnLine is considering a plan for public education through LD Month next year. Please write LD OnLine if you formally celebrated LD month this year — you may be featured next year. Contact LD OnLine and use "Positive side of LD" as your subject.