Diseases

Specific Learning Disorder

Diagnosed when there are specific deficits in an individual’s ability to perceive or process information efficiently and accurately. This disorder first manifests during the years of formal schooling and is characterized by persistent and impairing difficulties with learning foundational academic skills in reading, writing, and/or math. The individual’s performance of the affected academic skills is well below average for age, or acceptable performance levels are achieved only with extraordinary effort. Specific learning disorder may occur in individuals identified as intellectually gifted and manifest only when the learning demands or assessment procedures (e.g., timed tests) pose barriers that cannot be overcome by their innate intelligence and compensatory strategies. For all individuals, specific learning disorder can produce lifelong impairments in activities dependent on the skills, including occupational performance. (from DSM-V)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

Diagnosed when there are specific deficits in an individual’s ability to perceive or process information efficiently and accurately. This disorder first manifests during the years of formal schooling and is characterized by persistent and impairing difficulties with learning foundational academic skills in reading, writing, and/or math. The individual’s performance of the affected academic skills is well below average for age, or acceptable performance levels are achieved only with extraordinary effort. Specific learning disorder may occur in individuals identified as intellectually gifted and manifest only when the learning demands or assessment procedures (e.g., timed tests) pose barriers that cannot be overcome by their innate intelligence and compensatory strategies. For all individuals, specific learning disorder can produce lifelong impairments in activities dependent on the skills, including occupational performance. (from DSM-V)

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Narrower headings

Related Concepts

Knowledge Graph

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MeSH Record

Synonyms

4 entry terms
  • Disorder, Specific Learning
  • Learning Disorder, Specific
  • Learning Disorders, Specific
  • Specific Learning Disorders

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

31 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, virology.

MeSH Record

History Note

2016

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

  1. C10w.597.606.150w.550w.700
  2. C23.888w.592.604.150w.550w.700
  3. F03w.625w.374w.188w.700
  4. F03w.625w.562w.700

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Specific Learning Disorder. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D000067559. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D000067559
  2. Specific Learning Disorder. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2400784