A learning disability is a reduced
intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities e.g. household tasks, socialising or managing money, which will affect someone for their whole life. People with a learning disability tend to take longer to learn and may need support to develop new skills,
understand complicated information and interact with other people.
Learning disability is often confused with dyslexia and
mental health problems. Mencap* describes dyslexia as a “learning
difficulty” because, unlike learning disability, it does not affect
intellect.
*The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the UK that works with people with a learning disability, founded in 1946 by Judy Fryd.