Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Learning Disability (LD) are two medical conditions related to a person or children who find it difficult to read and grasp information and have behavioural issues.
Children suffering from both conditions require extra care and have to be nurtured with love. They are overwhelmed by the things around them, so they need people to understand them. Even though both ADHD and LD share some common traits, they differ significantly in many ways.
Key Takeaways
- ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder, while learning disabilities impact specific skills.
- ADHD symptoms include inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.
- Learning disabilities involve struggles with reading, writing, or math skills.
ADHD vs Learning Disability
ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects a human, characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. A learning disability refers to a neurological disorder that affects an individual’s ability to process information effectively.
ADHD children tend to be confused and daydream. The children may not understand or follow instructions like their peers of the same age. The inability to complete a task leads them to jump from one job to another. Impatience, unintentionally doing repetitive movements of a body part, breaking the queue, speaking out of turn, emotional outbursts, depression, or throwing tantrums are a few examples.
Children with learning disabilities struggle to listen, understand, interpret, and follow directions. They tend to have issues with their speech, reading, writing and solving problems at school and work. There is nothing wrong with these children or anything abnormal about them. Due to the way their brains are wired, they interpret things differently from other children.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | ADHD | Learning Disability |
|---|---|---|
| Hyperactivity | Extremely hyperactive. | Not exactly hyperactive. |
| Emotions | Have sudden outbursts of emotions. | Might not have sudden outbursts of emotions. |
| Tantrums | They tend to throw tantrums out of the blue. | Do not throw tantrums out of the blue. |
| Impact | Has an impact on more global skills like paying attention or keeping the impulses under control. | Has impact on certain specific skills like reading and writing or speech. |
| Child Psychiatrist | Can evaluate ADHD. | Cannot assess Learning Disability. |
What is ADHD?
ADHD is the abbreviated form of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. This disorder presents three significant challenges to a child. While performing a task, the child struggles to stay focused or pay attention. In addition, their hyperactivity makes them challenging to control. Learning, memorizing, and recalling becomes a mountainous task for 30 to 50 per cent of children with ADHD.
Impatience, unintentionally doing repetitive movements of a body part, breaking the queue, speaking out of turn, emotional outbursts, depression, or throwing tantrums are a few examples. By age 4, when the child begins school, ADHD can be diagnosed with certainty. ADHD children also have specific differences in their brain structures, according to neurologists. Specifically, the brain’s parts responsible for attention are underdeveloped.
Dopamine, a neurotransmitter responsible for mood regulation, movement control, and awareness, appears to be at low levels. These children also have a slightly underdeveloped frontal lobe responsible for social behaviour and learning social skills. Genetics and heredity seem to play a more significant role in affecting boys than girls. Smoking and drinking during pregnancy are also associated with ADHD in children.
What is Learning Disability?
LD, or Learning Disability, are pretty similar to ADHD. However, they are different and should not be confused with each other. This type of disability includes dyslexia (similar letters appear jumbled up), dysgraphia (problems with writing), dyscalculia (probability of difficulties with basic calculations such as time and money telling), and Auditory processing disorder (confusing similar-sounding words).
If a child has learning disabilities, they will have trouble with specific tasks like listening, understanding, interpreting, following instructions, etc. These children have speech, reading, and writing problems at school and work. There is nothing wrong with these children or anything abnormal about them. Due to the way their brains are wired, they interpret things differently from other children.
In preschool, the signs of a learning disorder can be seen when a child has difficulty identifying colours, memorizing the days of the week, learning the alphabet, or learning nursery rhymes. It is difficult for older children to read aloud, tell time, do math calculations, spell correctly, express their thoughts aloud, and organise their rooms. Learning is complex for them.
Main Differences Between ADHD and Learning Disability
- Children with ADHD are found to be excessively hyperactive. On the other hand, children with Learning Disabilities are not that active.
- ADHD children tend to have sudden outbursts of emotions, whereas children with Learning Disabilities do not.
- Children with ADHD can throw tantrums out of the blue. On the other hand, children with Learning Disabilities do not show such symptoms.
- ADHD significantly impacts a child’s global skills, like paying attention or controlling impulses. On the other hand, Learning Disability has an impact on a child’s specific skills like reading and writing or speech.
- A child psychiatrist is trained to diagnose and evaluate ADHD, not Learning Disability.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6938223/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042811009165
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
This article does a great job at highlighting the key differences between ADHD and Learning Disability, providing valuable insights for caregivers and educators alike.
It’s important for parents and teachers to recognize the unique needs of children with these conditions, and provide them with the necessary support to thrive.
The comparison table is particularly helpful in illustrating the specific differences between ADHD and Learning Disability, offering a clear reference for better understanding.
It’s important to emphasize that children with both ADHD and Learning Disability are unique individuals who require specific and personalized assistance tailored to their needs.
Understanding the symptoms and impacts of these conditions is crucial in order to provide the right kind of support and care for affected children.
The neurological and behavioural aspects of both ADHD and Learning Disability require a multidisciplinary approach to address effectively.
The comparison between ADHD and Learning Disability provides valuable insights that can help parents and educators better understand and support children with these conditions.
The distinct characteristics of ADHD and Learning Disability have significant implications for how we support and accommodate these children in various environments.
Addressing the underlying neurodevelopmental differences in children with these conditions is essential for promoting their overall well-being and development.
Educating parents, teachers, and communities about these conditions is crucial for creating inclusive and supportive environments for affected children.
ADHD and Learning Disability are both complex health issues that require careful consideration to better understand.
Recognizing the neurological and cognitive differences in children with these conditions is crucial for implementing appropriate interventions and support strategies.
The article effectively conveys the specific challenges and characteristics of children with ADHD and Learning Disability, shedding light on the complexities involved.