Learning disabilities Learning disabilities are a general term that describe specific types of learning problems. It is believed to be a neurological or processing disorder that affects the brain's ability to receive, process, store and respond to information. It can cause a person to have difficulty learning and using certain skills despite having at least average intelligence. The skills most often affected are reading, writing, listening, speaking, reasoning and doing mathematics. The legal definition of learning disabilities comes from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This is a federal law that guides how schools provide special education and related services to children with disabilities. IDEA defines a specific learning disability as “a disorder of one or more basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read , writing, typing, or performing mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. However, learning disabilities do not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor impairments, mental retardation, emotional disturbances, or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. Many states use a discrepancy formula to define learning disability. That is, the student exhibits a gap, often of 2 years or more, between his or her IQ score and the level of achievement in a particular area. HOW COMMON ARE LEARNING DISORDERS? About one in five people in the United States has a learning disability. About 5% of the total population of all school-......middle of paper......day, they have become more common. This was partly in response to calls to reduce the stigma of being labeled as learning disabled, to expose the child with a learning disability to the real world, and to provide the child with a learning disability access to more advanced curriculum content. Research on the effects of mainstreaming is inconclusive, based on a limited number of studies and focused more on children with mild learning difficulties than with moderate and severe disabilities. The overall conclusion at this time is that there is a small to moderate beneficial effect of inclusive education on the academic and social outcomes of children with special needs. However, this effect should be assessed in terms of the type and severity of the learning disability, the quality of training provided to the teacher, and the level and type of support available in the school system..