Why We Use the Term “Learning Disabilities”

At MMFS, we talk about students with “learning disabilities” rather than students with “learning differences” or “learning challenges.” Why?

Here’s how we define a learning disability:

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, long and short term memory, and attention.

The brains of students with learning disabilities are wired differently, and that is the cause of the difficulty they have in reading, writing, math, or organization. In order for them to reach their potential, we provide important accommodations, just as there are accommodations for students with other kinds of disabilities. A student with asthma uses an inhaler; a student with astigmatism wears glasses. And no one would say that those students have breathing differences or vision challenges.

There is no stigma attached to having a learning disability at MMFS. Our students have average to above-average intellectual abilities – they just need different learning methods and strategies to reach their full potential. Our highly trained and deeply dedicated teachers provide a small, specialized learning environment that allows students with learning disabilities like dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and ADHD to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. By giving students a clear understanding of their learning disability and its origin in the brain, they can take ownership of it.

Self-advocacy is one of the most important things we teach at MMFS. Our students learn to speak confidently about the nature of their learning disability to assure that they get the services and the accommodations they need and deserve to be successful, whether it’s in school, in activities, in the community, in college, or in the workplace.