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Learning Disabilities Glossary & Definitions A–Z
Find concise, plain-language explanations of terms used across learning disabilities, learning differences, education, accessibility, assessment and support. Terminology can vary between countries and services, so context matters.
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Try dyslexia, adjustment, executive function, processing, assessment, literacy, memory or UDL.
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Learning Disability
A broad term whose meaning can vary by country or service. On Aspie Answers, this family includes specific learning needs such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia and processing differences.
Learning Difference
A broader, non-diagnostic phrase used to describe variation in how someone takes in, processes, remembers or demonstrates information.
Dyslexia
A specific learning difficulty associated mainly with reading, spelling and written-language processing.
Dyscalculia
A specific learning difficulty involving number sense, mathematical concepts, calculation and related skills.
Executive Function
Mental processes used to start, plan, organise, remember, switch, manage time and follow through.
Open Executive Function →Reasonable Adjustment
A change intended to reduce a disability-related barrier so a person can participate more fairly and effectively.
A definitions
Accessibility
Designing information, environments, tools or activities so disabled people can access and use them with fewer barriers.
Explore related topics →Accommodation / Adjustment
A change to the way a task, environment, assessment or support is provided so a person can participate more effectively.
The preferred word varies by country and setting.Assessment
A structured process used to understand skills, strengths, difficulties or support needs. Formal diagnostic assessment should be carried out by appropriately qualified professionals.
Assistive Technology
Technology used to reduce barriers or support participation, such as text-to-speech, speech-to-text, reading tools, reminders or alternative input methods.
Auditory Processing
How the brain notices, organises and interprets sound-based information, including spoken language.
B definitions
Barrier
Something in the environment, task, communication method or system that makes access or participation more difficult.
Breaking Tasks Down
Dividing a larger or unclear activity into smaller, visible steps so it is easier to understand, begin and complete.
C definitions
Cognitive Load
The amount of mental effort being used at one time. High cognitive load can make remembering, processing or completing tasks harder.
Co-occurring Conditions
Two or more conditions, disabilities or support needs that are present in the same person.
Comprehension
Understanding the meaning of information that is read, heard, viewed or otherwise received.
Coordination Differences
Differences involving movement, motor planning, balance, handwriting or carrying out physical sequences.
D definitions
Diagnosis
A formal identification made using recognised professional criteria and assessment processes.
Dyscalculia
A specific learning difficulty involving number sense, mathematical concepts, calculation and related skills.
Explore Dyscalculia topics →Dysgraphia
A term used for significant difficulties with handwriting and/or written expression. Definitions and diagnostic use can vary by service or country.
Dyslexia
A specific learning difficulty associated mainly with reading, spelling and written-language processing.
Explore Dyslexia topics →Dyspraxia
A commonly used term for coordination and motor-planning difficulties. Clinical terminology may instead use Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD).
Terminology varies by location and professional context.E definitions
Educational Adjustment
A change to teaching, materials, assessment or participation intended to reduce a disability-related barrier in an education setting.
Executive Function
Mental processes used to plan, start, organise, remember, prioritise, shift attention, manage time and follow through.
Open Executive Function →F definitions
Fine Motor Skills
Small, controlled movements of the hands and fingers used for tasks such as writing, fastening, cutting or manipulating objects.
Fluency
The ability to perform a skill with increasing accuracy, ease and automaticity. In reading, it often refers to smooth, accurate and appropriately paced reading.
G definitions
Graphomotor Skills
The motor skills involved in handwriting, including pencil control, letter formation, spacing and writing speed.
H definitions
Handwriting
The physical production of written letters and words, involving motor control, visual-motor coordination and learned letter patterns.
Handwriting Automaticity
The point at which forming letters requires less conscious effort, leaving more mental capacity available for spelling, ideas and composition.
I definitions
Inclusive Education
An approach that aims to reduce barriers so learners can belong, participate and access learning within shared education environments.
Individual Education Plan (IEP)
A written plan used in some education systems to record goals, supports, adjustments and responsibilities for an individual learner.
Names, legal status and processes vary between countries and schools.Intervention
A planned teaching or support approach intended to strengthen a skill, reduce a barrier or improve participation.
J definitions
Job Accommodation / Workplace Adjustment
A change to a work task, environment, communication method or process intended to reduce a disability-related barrier.
Open Work & Employment →Job Coaching
Practical, individualised support that can help someone learn workplace tasks, routines, communication or job expectations.
K definitions
There is no dedicated K term in this glossary yet. The page stays accurate rather than forcing an artificial definition.
L definitions
Language Processing
How a person takes in, understands, organises and uses spoken or written language.
Learning Difference
A broad, non-diagnostic phrase for variation in how someone learns, processes information or demonstrates knowledge.
Learning Disability
A term used for significant learning-related difficulties, but its exact meaning varies internationally. Always check the local context when interpreting the term.
Aspie Answers uses this family broadly for specific learning needs and related support pathways.Learning Difficulty
A broad phrase used in many settings for difficulties affecting learning. It may be used informally or have a more specific local meaning.
Learning Profile
The individual pattern of strengths, difficulties, preferences, processing styles and support needs that affect how someone learns.
Literacy
Skills used to understand and communicate through written language, including reading, writing and related language skills.
M definitions
Mathematical Reasoning
Using mathematical ideas, relationships and logic to understand or solve problems rather than only carrying out calculations.
Memory
The processes involved in taking in, storing and retrieving information.
Metacognition
Awareness of your own thinking and learning processes, including noticing what you understand, what is difficult and which strategies help.
Multisensory Instruction
Teaching that deliberately combines more than one mode of learning, such as seeing, hearing, saying, touching or movement.
N definitions
Neurodivergence
An umbrella concept describing brains or nervous systems that develop or function in ways that differ from dominant expectations.
Open Neurodivergence →Non-Verbal Learning Disability / Profile (NVLD)
A term used for a pattern that may include visual-spatial, organisational, motor and non-verbal information-processing difficulties alongside stronger verbal skills.
Terminology and diagnostic recognition vary across professional systems.Numeracy
The ability to understand and use numbers, quantities and mathematical ideas in learning and everyday life.
O definitions
Occupational Therapy (OT)
A health profession focused on supporting participation in everyday activities. Depending on the person and setting, this can include motor, sensory, school, self-care or practical participation needs.
Organisation
Managing information, materials, tasks, time or steps so they can be found and used when needed.
P definitions
Phonological Awareness
Awareness of the sound structure of spoken language, such as recognising rhymes, syllables and individual speech sounds.
Processing Speed
The rate at which a person can take in, interpret and respond to information under particular conditions.
Processing Time
The time a person needs to understand information, organise a response and act on it.
Psychometric Assessment
Assessment using standardised tools designed to measure particular cognitive, academic or psychological skills against established reference data.
Q definitions
Quantitative Reasoning
Understanding and solving problems that involve quantities, numbers, relationships or mathematical information.
R definitions
Reading Comprehension
Understanding, interpreting and making meaning from written text.
Reasonable Adjustment
A change intended to reduce a disability-related barrier so a person can participate more fairly. Exact legal definitions vary by jurisdiction.
Response to Intervention (RTI)
A tiered educational approach used in some systems to provide increasing levels of teaching or support based on learner response and need.
Not every education system uses this framework or terminology.S definitions
Self-Advocacy
Understanding and communicating your needs, preferences, rights or requests for support.
Sequencing
Putting information, actions, events or steps into a meaningful or workable order.
Specific Learning Disorder
A diagnostic term used in some clinical systems for persistent difficulties in academic skills such as reading, written expression or mathematics.
Formal diagnosis requires professional assessment; terminology varies across systems.Speech-to-Text
Technology that converts spoken words into written text and can reduce handwriting or typing demands.
Spelling
Representing spoken words with conventional written letter patterns.
Study Skills
Practical strategies used to organise, understand, remember and review learning.
T definitions
Task Initiation
The executive-function process of moving from intending to do something into actually beginning it.
Open Executive Function →Text-to-Speech
Technology that reads digital text aloud and can support access to written information.
Time Management
Planning, estimating, monitoring and using time in relation to tasks, deadlines and transitions.
Transition
A change from one task, place, stage or environment to another. Transitions can require planning, processing and adjustment.
U definitions
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
An educational framework that encourages multiple ways to engage with learning, access information and demonstrate understanding.
V definitions
Visual Processing
How the brain notices, organises and interprets visual information.
Visual Supports
Visible information such as schedules, checklists, diagrams, symbols or step-by-step prompts used to support understanding and memory.
W definitions
Working Memory
The ability to hold information in mind briefly while using or manipulating it during a task.
Open Executive Function →Written Expression
Communicating ideas through writing, including planning, sentence construction, spelling, organisation and revision.
X definitions
There is no dedicated X term in this glossary yet. We would rather leave the letter honest than invent a misleading definition.
Y definitions
There is no dedicated Y term in this glossary yet. Use the search box or Topics A–Z to explore related learning and support concepts.
Z definitions
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
An educational concept describing the space between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with appropriate guidance or support.
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Learning Disabilities Topics A–Z
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Open Topics A–Z →Learning Disabilities Hub
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Find the Learning Disabilities Hub →Education
Move into school, tertiary study, teaching, assessments and formal learning environments.
Open the Education Hub →Everyday Help
Find support for forms, organisation, routines, planning and practical daily tasks.
Open Everyday Help →Resources & Downloads
Browse printable and digital tools, planners, worksheets and practical supports.
Browse Resources & Downloads →Support & Directories
Move toward organisations, services and broader support when information alone is not enough.
Open Support & Directories →Questions
Using definitions carefully
Why can the same term mean different things in different places?
Education, health and disability systems use different terminology. The meaning of terms such as “learning disability,” “learning difficulty,” “adjustment” and “accommodation” can therefore depend on country, service and professional context.
Is this glossary a diagnostic tool?
No. It is an educational reference. A definition can help you understand terminology, but diagnosis or formal eligibility decisions require the relevant qualified professionals and local criteria.
Why are some terms linked to other Aspie Answers pages?
Glossary definitions are intentionally brief. The links take you to topic, hub or support pages when you want deeper information or practical strategies.
What is the difference between this page and Topics A–Z?
This glossary answers “What does this word mean?” Topics A–Z answers “Where can I explore this subject further?”