Just for clarification, in the States learning disabilities or LD have average IQ or higher. Many can also be gifted. I would suspect it could co-exist with Aspergers or other autism disorders. LD typically have areas they excel in ie 90th percentile when tested. Ironically, to me anyway, both are processing disorders.
Note, many LD people go on to college or business and lead successful lives. For example, I have LD and have a Master's degree. I strongly suspect I am on the autism range based on behaviors and early history too.
I call this out as I have seen comments on this site which imply a misunderstanding of what LD is in fact.
"United States and Canada
In the United States and Canada, the terms learning disability and learning disorder (LD) refer to a group of disorders that affect a broad range of academic and functional skills including the ability to speak, listen, read, write, spell, reason, organize information, and do math. A person's IQ must be average or above to have a learning disability or learning disorder."
"The federal government, along with many special educators, uses the term specific learning disabilities—a helpful reminder that giving a child the label “learning disability” does not help unless we can specify the condition more exactly. At least six categories of learning disabilities have been identified:"
"Auditory-language. An auditory-language difficulty is a perceptual problem in which a child may take a long time to comprehend or follow directions. The student with an auditory learning disability is physically able to hear, but “hears” in a different way. Click here to lear about LD and ELL
Visual-spatial. Some visual-spatial disorders involve an inability to understand color or see a difference between the foreground and the background. A student may also have trouble visualizing directions in space, and this can significantly affect the ability to learn to read. For example, the letters b, d, p, and q are all formed in essentially the same way. Those who lack a sense of spatial relationships and directionality are unable to tell these letters apart.
Motor-related. A child with motor-related learning disabilities has difficulty with either fine or gross motor coordination or both. The student is unable to perform isolated, coordinated movements. This problem is evident in many settings—in the classroom, on the playground, at home, and elsewhere. In using technology, the child can have difficulty with handwriting, keyboards, and mouse control.
Organizational. A student with an organizational learning disability may have trouble locating the beginning, middle, or end of an assignment. Drafting an outline is difficult because the child cannot narrow down and organize information. Such weaknesses make it difficult or impossible for the student to assemble materials for papers or for oral presentations.
Academic difficulty. An example of academic difficulty is a student in math class who has problems with order and placement of numbers or who switches processes, such as long division and multiplication. Another example is a history student who has difficulty with the concept of time and cannot understand the order of events in relation to their dates of occurrence. Academic-specific learning disabilities are common among students with learning disabilities.[u] Special education teachers often see students who are, for instance, gifted in mathematical calculation and reasoning but have significant deficits in written language and spelling.
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Social skills disorders. The student with a social skills disorder has trouble with skills such as taking turns and understanding how to effectively interpret facial expressions. Such children are unable to perform social activities consistent with their chronological age and intelligence. Although social skills are not typically seen as being within the realm of the classroom teacher, these difficulties can significantly impair a child’s ability to succeed in the classroom."
"Dyslexia - A very real Reading Disability
Specific examples of Social Skill Disorders
Dyscalculia - The Math Disability
Sensory Integration Dysfunction"
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In the UK I have seen studies linking LD with autism:
Example:
http://www.autism.org.uk/about-autism/r ... ities.aspx
http://www.icare4autism.org/news/2012/0 ... nd-autism/
Whether they mean the US/ Canada definition I am not sure.
General LD Info:
http://thehealthscience.com/wiki/Learning-Disabilities
http://sped.wikidot.com/learning-disabilities
http://www.ldonline.org/xarbb/?catid=769
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_disability