Is Autism a Learning Disability?

All around the world, youth are intimately familiar with the challenges and pressures associated with academic performance. However, some find school more difficult than others, struggling to obtain passing grades that often lag behind those of their peers. Although their reasons may vary, one possible cause is the presence of a learning disability. Aside from learning disabilities, there are myriad other conditions that might impact learning, one of which is autism. Is autism a learning disability, though?

Is Autism a Learning Disability?

Autism is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder, at least according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). It is diagnosed in children who exhibit atypical social and communication behaviors, accompanied by highly specific interests and some peculiar bodily gestures or mannerisms [*]. Such behaviors may present differently according to gender; that is, symptoms of autism in boys may differ from those in girls.

In addition, there is typically severe impairment in adaptive behaviors, more so than in intelligence [*]. However, not all children with autism suffer from such impairment; in fact, there are some who are high-functioning and can live fairly independently, without requiring much support or accommodations. Regardless of how capable they are of managing their day-to-day functioning, high-functioning autism and anger and other intense emotions may still present together in the same child.

Finally, autism may also be characterized by different learning patterns. However, although autism and learning are interrelated in many ways, autism is not a learning disability.

What's the Difference Between Autism and Learning Disabilities?

Although symptoms of autism and learning disabilities share some overlap and may even co-occur, each type of disorder comes with features that distinguish itself from the other.

On the one hand, a learning disability is characterized by an intellectual deficit or impairment in one or more academic areas. Individuals living with a learning disability display a diminished ability in how they acquire or understand certain information or how they learn or develop certain skills. Furthermore, learning disabilities are characterized by a learning process that occurs very slowly in comparison with that of individuals without a learning disability. Thus, learning disabilities are distinguished from other disorders by their implications in the area of academic functioning or, more broadly, in the areas of learning.

On the other hand, autism spectrum disorder, or simply autism, is a disorder characterized by various persistent social deficits that could be described as pervasive. In other words, these social deficits occur across multiple settings and contexts. Children with autism may also have an atypical learning pattern. However, it is not necessarily the case that they have any learning deficits. In fact, some of these children can be quite capable in the areas of reading, spelling, and vocabulary [*]. Moreover, although deficits in executive function skills may be present and are, in fact, common, these are not required for a diagnosis of autism to be made [*][*].

In summary, autism and learning disabilities differ in that autism is more commonly characterized by social and adaptive impairments, whereas learning disabilities are characterized by difficulties in processing certain information, as evidenced by learning deficits or delays in at least one academic area [*].

How Does Autism Affect Learning?

Contemporary research has not been fully able to identify conclusively how autism affects learning. However, current literature has suggested that children with autism learn much differently from children without autism, who mainly learn through extensive passive exposure to a variety of information [*]. Children with autism, on the other hand, do not necessarily benefit from this style of learning.

For instance, research has demonstrated how autism affects learning by examining the language acquisition process of children with autism. Echolalia, which occurs when children with autism repeat the words communicated to them, has actually been shown to be a way that these children learn how to structure sentences [*]. Although this is not the common route to language acquisition, eventually, children who exhibit echolalia do learn how to speak just as fluently as children who learn more conventionally.

The learning process associated with autism is thus unconventional. Why is it the case that autism has been mistaken as a learning disability? This may be due to their social and interpersonal deficits. According to research, the presence of stimuli such as everyday social information and interaction may require more attention in children with autism [*]. As a result, the presence of such information in their surroundings may interfere with the learning of other nonsocial material. Not only that, they tend to be overwhelmed by sensory stimuli. Sensory toys and fidget toys for autism may help curb such overwhelmed states.

What Are Some Learning Disabilities Associated With Autism?

As established, autism is not considered a learning disability. However, autism and learning disabilities may be comorbid. That is, they may co-occur in an individual. Some learning disabilities associated with autism are the following:

• Intellectual developmental disorder: Also known as intellectual disability, intellectual developmental disorder is characterized by significant deficits in intellectual skills overall - deficits that are discrepant from those expected of the child's developmental level. Children with this learning disability may also present with autism symptoms, particularly problems with language or symbolic skills [*]. The key distinction, though, is that intellectual disability alone shows no discrepancy between the level of intellectual skills and that of social or communication skills.
• Language disorder: Language disorder refers to difficulties with language comprehension and sentence construction using proper grammar. Language disorder and autism spectrum disorder are both neurodevelopmental disorders, and a child may have both conditions as well.
• Specific learning disorders: Specific learning disorders refer to difficulties in the areas of reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), or arithmetic (dyscalculia). Problems in literacy and numeracy are also commonly present in children with autism [*].

Can Someone Have Both Autism and a Learning Disability?

It is very possible for a child to have both autism and a learning disability. In fact, according to one study, autism is commonly associated with learning disability, with increasing comorbidity rates with lower levels of intelligence [*]. The symptoms and consequences of both conditions, though, can be managed. Whereas learning disabilities require school accommodations that target specific academic areas, autism demands support, if indicated, more in the form of social skills interventions [*]. If you have a child with autism, you may also find that using social skills worksheets for autism can be helpful.

The Bottom Line

As you have learned, autism is not a learning disability. However, symptoms of autism and learning disabilities may overlap, and both neurodevelopmental disorders may co-occur. Keep in mind that autism is characterized more by social skills deficits that may interfere with everyday interactions and less by impairments in learning areas. Thus, social skills interventions, as well as the use of social skills worksheets, can help individuals with autism cope with their condition.

References:

1. Dawson M, Mottron L, and Gernsbacher MA. Learning in autism. 2008.
2. O’Brien G and Pearson J. Autism and learning disability. 2004.
3. Pellicano E. The development of executive function in autism. 05 July 2012.
4. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th edition, text revision). 2022.
5. Bahlander AJ, Orlich F, and Varley CK. Social skills training for children with autism. February 2012.