LD Blog

Here’s another instance of the misuse of “Learning Disabilities” as a generic term. In what is otherwise a nice story about services available to families in the northern Illinois area, Nora Gardner of the Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL, US) got it wrong in her story about Prader-Willi Syndrome.

When Dylan Krambeer was born, he was hospitalized for two weeks and diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome, a complex genetic disorder that includes learning disabilities, low muscle tone and an involuntary urge to eat constantly.

It’s probably a losing battle, but I would like the press to understand that mis-using the term “Learning Disability” hinders clear understanding of LD by the general public. I understand the if one is uninformed, then “learning disabilities” can seem like a simple descriptor, but it’s not just a simple problem for those who have Learning Disabilities. I’ll keep tilting at this windmill.

Link to Ms. Gardner’s article. People who want to know about Prader-Willi Syndrome may peruse resources from US National Institutes for Heath’s Medline Plus or the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association of the US or UK (where “learning disabilities” means “mental retardation” in US-speak).