UNDERSTANDING LEARNING DISABILITIES

We've developed our
own definition.

A learning disability is a neurological condition that causes difficulties with the way the brain handles information. Information coming in or going out may become disorganized as it travels among different areas of the brain. These difficulties can interfere with important learning skills such as reading, writing, and/or math. They can also interfere with such things as receptive and expressive language, organization, planning and managing time, reasoning, attention, and long and short term memory.

Children with learning disabilities are as smart as or smarter than their peers, but they usually find it difficult to learn in a typical manner; however, with different learning methods and strategies, they can be just as academically successful as students without learning disabilities.

WHY DO WE USE THIS TERM?

At MMFS we use the phrase learning disability instead of learning differences, challenges or neurodivergent.

The reason that some smart students have difficulty with reading, writing, math, focus, or organization is that their brains are wired differently. The cause is neurological—not behavioral or because the student isn’t trying hard enough.

At Mary McDowell Friends School, there is no stigma attached to having a learning disability. It is our mission to ensure that students with learning disabilities reach their full potential. And we have been fulfilling that mission for more than 40 years.