Ld And Adhd Similarities

Hillary Hawley
Eng-105
September 7, 2014
Rebecca Foy

LD Or ADHD?
It is not easy trying to figure out why a child may be struggling in school or what could be causing those struggles. Is it a learning disability or could it be ADHD and how can one know the difference? According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, “one-third of people with LD have ADHD too.” (NCLD, 2014, para.1) Even though learning disabilities and ADHD have similarities they are treated differently. Just because a child may have ADHD does not mean they also have a LD (learning disability) and vice versa. ADHD can impact not only a child’s social life and personal life but also the child’s schooling. A child with ADHD that is in school may experience a hard time

When it comes to a learning disorder and ADHD they do have some similarities but they are also different. According to the NCLD, a child that has a learning disability is, “when the flow of information is misrouted or delayed, or when one area of the brain is not working at full capacity.” (NCLD, 2014, para.4). Both LD and ADHD are neurological disorders so it does make is harder to determine which disease a child may have. Even though they are both neurological disorders they are treated differently. When a child has a learning disorder they are not treated with medication but with education and behavioral practices but, when a child has ADHD they are treated with some form of medication and possibly therapy. One impact that ADHD has on a child that affects them in school is the child having a hard time interacting in the classroom. When a child appears to have problems interacting it can also cause them to not pay as much attention during class. According to the NCLD, “children with inattentive type of ADHD have trouble putting the needed attention and effort into their schoolwork.” (NCLD, 2014,

According to the United States Department of Education, “ADHD’s core symptoms-inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity-make meeting the daily rigors of school challenging.” (Zentall, 1993, U.S. Department of Education, para.3). With inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity being the core symptoms of ADHD is what causes a child to become frustrated. Once a child becomes frustrated it tends to start affecting their school work and also their behavior in the classroom. There are ways that the teacher can help with a child’s frustration by, “structure the student’s environment to accommodate his or her special needs.” (U.S Department of Education, para.11). That is not the only thing that a teacher can do but it is one thing that may help the child be less frustrated. The U.S Department of Education has a lot of tips for school found on their webpage that can help when dealing with a child with