Let’s get this straightened out once and for all: Is “learning disability” a part of ASD? Does autism cause learning disabilities?
Or are they distinct conditions?
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and learning disabilities are both developmental disorders that impact an individual’s ability to process information and communicate effectively.
However, they’re distinct conditions with unique characteristics and diagnostic criteria.
Nevertheless, every so often, someone refers to autism as a learning disability.
The instance that inspired me to cover this topic was when the actual mother of a young autistic man posted that “he had autism and other learning disabilities.”
Her use of “other” clearly implies that she believes that autism is a form of learning disability.
The irony is that she had also posted that from an early age, her son had been very academically advanced, way ahead of his classmates.
The term “learning disability” has got to go. It’s ambiguous, broad and misleading, and often incorrectly used, including in reference to someone whose only diagnosis is an intellectual impairment (low IQ).
People today still believe that learning disability equates to low IQ, and that autism equates to learning disability.
Key Features of Autism
Social Communication Challenges: Autistics may have difficulty understanding and using nonverbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions.
As a result, many people have misunderstood my feelings and intentions.
Ironically, I had always thought (prior to my diagnostic journey) that THEY had a problem reading people.
I’ve since learned that neurotypical is my second language.
Autists often struggle with understanding social norms and may have trouble initiating or maintaining conversations.
I’ve always questioned social norms and pop culture.
Repetitive Behaviors and Restricted Interests: I’m not a hand flapper, but I often rock while at my computer or watching TV.
Repetitive behaviors in autism, aka stimming or self-stimulatory behavior, can take endless forms, including finger flicking, head bobbing, patting one’s head, sucking on one’s collar, chewing “chewelry,” vocal noises, teeth clicking, toe walking, cuticle chewing, squeezing putty – the sky’s the limit.
Restricted interests are also called narrowed interests, circumscribed interests and special interests.
These are intense areas of passion, sometimes to the point of outright obsession.
I’ve had many special interests, including wood chipper fatalities, shark attacks, mental hospitals, window shades, huge ponytails and first-name spellings.
Carolyn Karolynn Karrolynne Kerollin Kerrolyn Kearolynn Kairrolinn Carollynn
Sensory Sensitivities: Many individuals with autism experience heightened or diminished sensitivity to sensory input, such as lights, sounds, textures or smells.
I’m extremely sensitive to the stench of human breath, seemingly the only person at the gym who can detect it from 10 feet away from the offender. And it’s a sickening experience.
I can’t stand the feel of stickers, that are attached to objects, on my fingertips.
If I must pick up an item that has a sticker, I make sure my fingertips are nowhere near the sticker.
I can’t stand when long loose carrots are every-which-way in a plastic bag; they must be lined up parallel to each other. Even if one is poking out of place, this bothers me.
NO, NO, NO.
AHHH YES!
Variability in Intellectual Functioning: Cognitive abilities in those on the Spectrum can range from a very low IQ to genius.
While one autistic adult may struggle to understand toileting, another may be an aerospace engineer.
Understanding Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities are a group of disorders that affect the brain’s ability to receive, process, store and respond to information.
They are distinct from intellectual disabilities in that those with learning disabilities usually have average or above-average intelligence but struggle with specific areas of learning.
Dyslexia: Characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition; identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words; poor spelling.
Dysgraphia: A writing disability that affects handwriting and fine motor skills.
Dyscalculia: A mathematical disability involving difficulties in understanding arithmetic concepts and performing accurate calculations.
Auditory and Visual Processing Disorders: These disorders affect how the brain processes auditory or visual information, leading to challenges in understanding and using spoken or written language.
An autistic person can have one or more of these “learning disabilities,” but that doesn’t mean that they’re actually part of the autism.
Plus, man Autistics have none of these challenges, such as myself.
Needless to say, these issues can be seen in non-autistic people as well.
Analogously, people with coronary artery disease often have type 2 diabetes. But this doesn’t mean that CAD causes type 2 diabetes.
Autism vs. Learning Disabilities
©Lorra Garrick
Autism and the so-called learning disabilities are distinct conditions despite their relatively common co-occurrence.
Research indicates that a significant percentage of individuals with autism also have learning disabilities.
This overlap can complicate diagnosis and intervention, as the presence of one condition can mask or exacerbate the symptoms of the other.
But remember, any one of the aforementioned learning disability types is NOT a feature of the Autism Spectrum Disorder.
It may be that – in some cases – whatever causes autism also causes dyslexia, dyscalculia, etc.
With all that said, you should never automatically assume that the next autistic person you meet is learning disabled!
Overlapping Features of ASD and LD
Communication Challenges: Both autism and certain learning disabilities can involve difficulties with language and communication.
For example, children with dyslexia may struggle with reading and writing, while those with autism may have broader challenges with social communication.
Educational Impact: Both conditions can affect academic performance and require specialized educational interventions.
At the same time, many autistic children navigate the academic and school environment without assistance.
- But this doesn’t mean there’s an absence of social struggles.
- In my case, I struggled socially. Many teachers didn’t like me, even though I was well-behaved.
Distinct Features of ASD and LD
Core Symptoms: The core traits of ASD revolve around social communication and repetitive behaviors, whereas learning disabilities specifically impact academic skills such as reading, writing and math.
Social Interaction: Social interaction challenges in autism are broader and more pervasive, affecting various aspects of social functioning.
In contrast, individuals with learning disabilities may have normal social interactions outside of academic contexts, able to subconsciously “read” social cues.
Behavioral Patterns: Repetitive behaviors (e.g., spinning in circles) and restricted interests (e.g., an obsession with the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs) are hallmark features of autism but are not typically associated with learning disabilities.
Conclusion
Autism Spectrum Disorder and learning disabilities are distinct yet sometimes overlapping conditions.
While autism primarily affects social communication and behavior, learning disabilities specifically hinder academic skills.
What would help erase the confusion or the association of one with the other would be to obliterate the term “learning disabilities” altogether.
“Learning disability” is also often associated with low I.Q.
The flipside also occurs. For example, a man once told me that his son had a “learning disability,” even though the only diagnosis was a low IQ.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical and fitness topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer. In 2022 she received a diagnosis of Level 1 Autism Spectrum Disorder and subsequently has developed an intense interest in ASD.
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