What is a learning difficulty or disability?
A child or young person has a learning difficulty if they: • have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age; or • have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local education authority • are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition of a or b above or would do so if special education provision was not made for them ( Education Act 1996) The definition of disability is: A person has a disability if he or she has a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long term adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (Disability Discrimination Act 1995)