Are learning disabilities and mental retardation the same?

Post Reply New Topic

I asked my mother if I was ret*d as a child because looking back people did seem to treat me as if I was. I asked my mother if I was ret*d and she seemed hesitant to give me an answer. I think that's because in her mind the answer was yes but she didn't want to tell me. She said I just had "learning disabilities". She's never been hesitant to tell me how my biological mother was ret*d (back in the late 80's-early 90's it was an actual medical term and my biological mother was unable to care for herself). Autism wasn't that well known back then as it is today (plus it was a hick town that was like twenty years behind the times) and my mom told me that my biological maternal grandmother died when my biological mother was very young and my biological grandfather was clueless when it came to bringing up kids and basically let her raise herself. My biggest question was how my adoptive mother knew all this. It wasn't like she and my biological mother's family were close friends. Maybe a social worker told her? I don't know. No one really knew who my biological father was either but suspected it was some local wife beater who took advantage of her nativity in a local bar where she always hung around in and played the guitar (my adoptive mother claims she "probably wasn't very good"). I only knew about my biological mother from "he said/she said" stories my adoptive mother told me about her. I supposedly was a "rape baby" but after a while I started to wonder if maybe my biological mother did give consent. Anyway, is learning disabled the same thing as being "conventionally disabled" or whatever the heck the term "ret*d" or "mentally challenged" was supposed to mean? Is the term "learning disability" just a nicer way to say that?

Mental retardation and learning disabilities mean the same thing in the UK. That is their PC word for mental retardation. In the US, they mean different things. Dyscalalia is a learning disability and so is dyslexia and dysgraphia, and learning disabilities is also used for kids who have social challengers or behavior challenges or living challenges like some people call autism a learning disability because it affects social skills and behavior and if someone has a different way of learning, they are considered having a learning disability.

So if a person has dysgraphia/dyslexia/dysgraphia etc are they the same kind of "ret*d" my mom was referring too when talking about my biological mother?

A person with an IQ below a certain level was considered mentally ret*d in those days. A person with dysgraphia or dyscalculia would not also necessarily have naivete and poor self-care. A low functioning autistic person might have all of those things, though--retardation, learning disabilities, social disabilities, and executive dysfunction. Maybe your bio mom had autism just like you? It is genetic.

I don't know, you would have to ask her.

I wouldn't know either. I don't even know if she's still alive. I never had a desire to meet her either. But then I never really had a desire to meet anyone.

Many people diagnosed with "learning disabilities" happen to have "average," or even "above average" IQ's.

I have known people with dyslexia. Many of these people I knew were in the theatre. They had what may be called enhanced verbal and social skills---but could barely write and read. None of these people were "ret*d" in any way.

No. Just the opposite. If a person has dysgraphia/dyslexia/dysgraphia, they can be very smart otherwise. In the US, learning disabled means that you are smart, except for one specific area.

In the UK, learning disabled means that you struggle in all areas of learning. They used to call this mentally ret*d. Now they use the word "Intellectually Impaired" or "Intellectual Disability."

I don't know what word they use in the UK if you just have dysgraphia/dyslexia/dysgraphia, but are otherwise smart, but they do use those terms. Maybe they just call you dyslexic?

They changed the name of mental retardation because we are humans, and our intellect does not get ret*d like mold on a tomato. Not learning quickly is just part of some people. It's who they are.

To qualify in special education with a specific learning disability, the IQ must first be ABOVE a certain level (80 last I knew). Otherwise the difficulty learning is result of the low IQ itself. In other words, you have someone functioning like someone with an IQ of 75 BECAUSE his or her IQ actually IS 75. Such a person is "too low to qualify" for SPED under "learning disabled." Next there needs to be a significant discrepancy between the level of IQ (where the person SHOULD be functioning) and where he or she IS actually
functioning. So you have someone with an IQ of 100 functioning like a person with an IQ of 80; the problem there is not low IQ, but a specific learning disability. And, unlike someone with a low IQ, the difficulty may be in just one area.

They're specific learning disorders, rather than a complete learning disability (I think). More usual to say which one though, yeah.

(also you said "dysgraphia" twice, I assume one is meant to be "dyscalculia")

In the UK, yes.

In Canada and the US, no.

I just copy and pasted that from someone else. I have dygraphia, and they "dys" gets my typing tangled up every time so I just avoided it. lol. Now you know. I didn't even see that the person I had copied made the same error I would have made, and was attempting to avoid.

A little bit of an aside: There is a tendency on the part of some parents in the US, to call their kid learning disabled, when they clearly have universal challenges.

For example, my cousin has overall developmental differences, and left school with maybe a 3/4th grade reading level and requires lifetime supports because he does not process information quickly enough to live independently. Get the picture? My Aunt got mad at me once because I said something along the lines that he's got developmental disabilities. She responded that he's just learning disabled.

At the time, my label was learning disabled. I have a graduate degree, live independently, work full time in a licensed profession, and enjoy academics. We are not the same. I was young at the time and it really wounded mt ego. I knew she was defending her son, but it seemed more like she was pronouncing me more seriously disabled than I was. It was a moment that sticks with me. It's just not fair. I feel like this sliding around of labels makes some of us invisible. I understand that people with a lot of challenges need dignity in labeling, but do they have to use the words that exist for me to describe my unique situation?

First of all, the phrase mental retardation is a very outdated and negative label. Second, it is absolutely not the same as having learning disabilities. People with learning disabilities can be just as intelligent, or even much more so. When I was young lost of people said I was intelligent, I only remember one person who thought - at first, anyway - that I was mildly mentally ret*d. Her words, not mine.

People with below average IQs but yet have a IQ above 70 just don't qualify for special ed at all.


Despite my learning differences, I didn't qualify for learning disability so my label was other health impaired which I find very offensive because there is nothing wrong with my health and how dare they call my learning style a health problem.

I used to be under Communication disorder but that changed in 6th grade. I was also under multi handicapped in 2nd and 3rd grade.

I wish they make a new category, 'other disability' because I do not have a medical problem.

UK person here commenting.

We have:

- Learning Difficulty: The child has been identified as below expected development abilities for reasons presumed not to be environmental (e.g., poor school attendance). Often, children will be described as having 'MLD' on support profiles. Further assessment may show they have a learning disability, or it may not. It's essentially a cluster of all of the below plus colloquailly 'slow' kids.

It may also include children with 'developmental delay'/'global developmental delay' which may mean that the child is developing at a slower rate than expected, but are typical in a number of areas for a different developmental band. E.g., a 5 year old who broadly functions as a 3 year old. Some may go on to be diagnosed with LD.

- Learning Disability (Mild, Moderate or Severe or Profound/Profound and Multiple Learning Disability): Learning disabilities affect how a person understands new or complex information, communicates, learns new skills and copes independently. The learning profile may show unequal areas of progress, for example there might be a severe language difficulty and a mild difficulty with independent living skills. But the IQ is generally low.

It is more formally assessed than, say, MLD used in the school setting. It relies in part on IQ bands but also heavily on functional assessments.

"People with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities may have the highest levels of care needs in our communities. They have a profound intellectual disability (an IQ of less than 20) and in addition they may have other disabilities such as visual, hearing or movement impairments, or they may have autism or epilepsy. Most people in this group need support with mobility and many have complex health needs requiring extensive support. They may have considerable difficulty communicating, doing so non-verbally, and characteristically have very limited understanding. In addition, some people may need support with behaviour that is seen as challenging.

People with a severe learning disability have an IQ of between 20 and 35; they may often use basic words and gestures to communicate their needs. Many need a high level of support with everyday activities, but they may be able to look after some if not all of their own personal care needs. Some people may have additional medical needs and some need support with mobility issues.

People with a moderate learning disability have an IQ of 35 to 50 and are likely to have some language skills that mean they can communicate about their day to day needs and wishes. Some people may need more support caring for themselves, but many will be able to carry out day to day tasks.

People with a mild learning disability have an IQ of 50 to 70 and are usually able to hold a conversation and communicate most of their needs and wishes. They may need some support to understand abstract or complex ideas. People are often independent in caring for themselves and doing many everyday tasks. They usually have some basic reading and writing skills. People with a mild learning disability quite often go undiagnosed." (BILD)

- Specific Learning Disability (SpLD): Perhaps diametrically opposed to PMLD is SpLD which requires average or above areas of IQ and disproportionately low areas. ADHD, dyspraxia, dyslexia, etc

If your biological mother did had an SpLD, my thought is that it would be severe or accompanied by other mental health problems for you to have been removed.