FTCE Exceptional Student Education (ESE) K-12 Practice Test

Specific Learning Disabilities do NOT include difficulties primarily due to which of the following?

1. Visual disabilities

2. Autism Spectrum Disorders

3. Significant mental retardation

4. Dysgraphia

The correct answer is: Visual disabilities

Specific Learning Disabilities are defined as disorders that affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding, or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disabilities are not attributed to other conditions. Visual disabilities are categorized separately because they impact an individual's ability to see, which doesn't inherently influence the cognitive processes involved in learning; rather, they affect access to information. Autism Spectrum Disorders and significant mental retardation are also recognized as distinct classifications and may overlap with learning disabilities, but they represent broader categories of neurodevelopmental disorders that can complicate learning but do not define it. Dysgraphia is a type of specific learning disability related to writing, demonstrating that the scope of specific learning disabilities includes certain writing and processing difficulties. In essence, while visual disabilities may affect learning, they are not classified under specific learning disabilities since the challenges arise from a sensory rather than cognitive processing issue.