In 2002 the Learning Disabilities Association of Canada (LDAC) and its Provincial and Territorial Associations ratified this new definition for national purposes. It reflects a thorough review of learning disabilities research and input from hundreds of individuals in all provinces and territories, the LDAC National Legal Committee and the LDAC Think Tank. (LDAC appreciates the financial support provided by The Burns Family Memorial Fund. LDAC also gratefully acknowledges the contribution to this definition of the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario and its Definition Working Group (funded by the Government of Ontario as part of the Promoting Early Intervention Initiative), as well as the efforts of the Association québécoise pour les troubles d'apprentissage on the translation of this important document.)

The Definition
A Learning Disability refer to a number of disorders which may affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning. As such, learning disabilities are distinct from global intellectual deficiency.

Learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include, but are not limited to: language processing; phonological processing; visual spatial processing; processing speed; memory and attention; and executive functions (e.g. planning and decision-making).

Learning disabilities range in severity and may interfere with the
acquisition and use of one or more of the following:

	oral language: listening, speaking, understanding
	reading: decoding, phonetic knowledge, word recognition,comprehension
	written language: spelling and written expression
	mathematics: computation, problem solving

Learning disabilities may also involve difficulties with organizational
skills, social perception, social interaction and perspective taking.

Learning disabilities are lifelong. The way in which they are expressed may vary over an individual¹s lifetime, depending on the interaction between the demands of the environment and the individual¹s strengths and needs. Learning disabilities are suggested by unexpected academic under-achievement or achievement which is maintained only by unusually high levels of effort and support.

Learning disabilities are due to genetic and/or neurobiological factors or injury that alters brain functioning in a manner which affects one or more processes related to learning. These disorders are not due primarily to hearing and/or vision problems, socio-economic factors, cultural or linguistic differences, lack of motivation or ineffective teaching, although these factors may further complicate the challenges faced by individuals with learning disabilities. Learning disabilities may co-exist with various conditions including attentional, behavioural and emotional disorders, sensory impairments or other medical conditions.

For success, individuals with learning disabilities require early
identification and timely specialized assessments and interventions
involving home, school, community and workplace settings. The interventions need to be appropriate for each individual¹s learning disability subtype and, at a minimum, include the provision of:

specific skill instruction;
accommodations;
compensatory strategies; and
self-advocacy skills