Specific Learning

Disorder
 Learning disabilities affect how a person learns to read, write, speak, and do
math. They are caused by differences in the brain, most often in how it functions
but also sometimes in its structure. These differences affect the way the brain
processes information.

 Learning disabilities are often discovered once a child is in school and has
learning difficulties that do not improve over time. A person can have more than
one learning disability. Learning disabilities can last a person’s entire life, but he
or she can still be successful with the right educational supports.

 A learning disability is not an indication of a person’s intelligence. Learning

disabilities are different from learning problems due to intellectual and
developmental disabilities, or emotional, vision, hearing, or motor skills problems.
 Signs and Symptoms of LD
 Many children have trouble reading, writing, or performing other learning-related tasks at some point. This
does not mean they have learning disabilities. A child with a learning disability often has several related signs,
and they don’t go away or get better over time. The signs of learning disabilities vary from person to person.

Common signs that a person may have learning disabilities include the following:

 Problems reading and/or writing

 Problems with math
 Poor memory
 Problems paying attention
 Trouble following directions
 Clumsiness
 Trouble telling time
 Problems staying organized
 A child with a learning disability also may have one or more of the following1:

 Acting without really thinking about possible outcomes (impulsiveness)

 “Acting out” in school or social situations
 Difficulty staying focused; being easily distracted
 Difficulty saying a word correctly out loud or expressing thoughts
 Problems with school performance from week to week or day to day
 Speaking like a younger child; using short, simple phrases; or leaving out words
in sentences
 Having a hard time listening
 Problems dealing with changes in schedule or situations
 Problems understanding words or concepts

These signs alone are not enough to determine that a person has a learning
disability. Only a professional can diagnose a learning disability.
 Each learning disability has its own signs. A person with a particular
disability may not have all of the signs of that disability.

 Children being taught in a second language may show signs of learning

problems or a learning disability. The learning disability assessment must
take into account whether a student is bilingual or a second language
learner. In addition, for English-speaking children, the assessment should
be sensitive to differences that may be due to dialect, a form of a language
that is specific to a region or group.
 DYSLEXIA (impairment in
Reading)
 People with dyslexia usually have trouble making the connection between letters and sounds and with spelling and
recognizing words.
 Having a hard time understanding what others are saying

 Difficulty organizing written and spoken language

 Delay in being able to speak

 Difficulty expressing thoughts or feelings

 Difficulty learning new words (vocabulary), either while reading or hearing

 Trouble learning foreign languages

 Difficulty learning songs and rhymes

 Slow rate of reading, both silently and out loud

 Giving up on longer reading tasks

 Difficulty understanding questions and following directions

 Poor spelling

 Problems remembering numbers in sequence (for example, telephone numbers and addresses)

 Trouble telling left from right

DYSGRAPHIA (impairment in
written expression)
 A child who has trouble writing or has very poor handwriting and does not
outgrow it may have dysgraphia. This disorder may cause a child to be tense
and twist awkwardly when holding a pen or pencil.
Other signs of this condition may include:
 A strong dislike of writing and/or drawing
 Problems with grammar
 Trouble writing down ideas
 Losing energy or interest as soon as they start writing
 Trouble writing down thoughts in a logical sequence
 Saying words out loud while writing
 Leaving words unfinished or omitting them when writing sentences
Dyscalculia (impairment in
mathematics)
 Signs of this disability include problems understanding basic arithmetic
concepts, such as fractions, number lines, and positive and negative
numbers.
Other symptoms may include:
 Difficulty with math-related word problems
 Trouble making change in cash transactions
 Messiness in putting math problems on paper
 Trouble with logical sequences (for example, steps in math problems)
 Trouble understanding the time sequence of events
 Trouble describing math processes
Etiology of Learning
Disorders
Gail Grodzinsky, Ph.D.:
 As of now, no one is certain what causes learning disabilities. It is thought
that learning disabilities may be caused by hereditary, teratogenic factors
(for instance, alcohol or cocaine use during pregnancy), medical factors
(premature birth, diabetes, meningitis of mother or offspring), and/or
environmental factors (malnutrition, poor prenatal healthcare). A leading
theory among scientists is that learning disabilities stem from subtle
disturbances in the way brain structures are formed. Researchers are also
studying genetic links.
 Sheldon Horowitz, Ed.D.:
 Experts aren’t exactly sure what causes learning disabilities. Some possibilities
include:

 Heredity: Often, learning disabilities run in the family, so it’s not uncommon to
find that people with learning disabilities have parents or other relatives with
similar difficulties.
 Problems during pregnancy and birth: Learning disabilities may be caused by
illness or injury during or before birth. It may also be caused by low birth weight,
lack of oxygen, drug and alcohol use during pregnancy, and premature or
prolonged labor.
 Incidents after birth: Head injuries, nutritional deprivation, and exposure to toxic
substances (i.e. lead) can contribute to learning disabilities.
 Learning disabilities are NOT caused by economic disadvantage, environmental
factors, or cultural differences. In fact, there is frequently no apparent cause for
learning disabilities.
David Urion, M.D.:
 There appears to be no one cause of learning disabilities. We know that
some appear to be hereditary — for example, dyslexia and certain other
language-based learning disorders seem to pass through families. In other
instances, early brain injury — such as can occur as a consequence of
prematurity — is associated with learning disabilities. Certain toxic
exposures, such as lead, can produce injury to the developing brain and
lead to learning disabilities. Many remain obscure in their origins.
Cheryl Weinstein, Ph.D.:
 The most is known about the learning disability known as dyslexia.
Individuals with dyslexia do not have the typical pattern of left hemisphere
brain organization for reading. Dr. Sally Shaywitz at Yale University (2003)
has done remarkable research with functional magnetic resonance
imagings (MRIs) showing that dyslexic adults have under-activation of the
reading area of the brain and over-activation of brain regions responsible
for attention and recognition of sounds. It is no wonder that the adult with
a reading disorder is more fatigued after work. Their brain is literally
working harder.
 More generally, there are multiple factors that cause learning disabilities,
including atypical brain organization. Specifically, there may be differences
in cells or in the basic “hard-wiring” of the brain. One patient explained
that his brain “was wired by a non-union electrician.” There also may be
differences in brain development due to metabolic disorders such as
maternal diabetes or thyroid disease. Parental alcohol abuse and maternal
smoking are well-known agents contributing to childhood learning
problems. In addition, there may be stress to the baby during birth when
there is sudden lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain (anoxic events).
 Children with SLD exhibit both internalized, such as depressive and
anxiety disorders, self-esteem issues, eating and sleep difficulties, and
externalized problems, including difficulties in socializing, developing
friendships, and delinquent behavior. Moreover, research has shown that
children with learning disabilities have an average (or above average)
intelligence, and their poor academic performance is due to their lack of
effective learning strategies. Concerning cognitive deficiencies, research
suggests that no specific deficit is to fault; however, common deficits in
children with SLDs are phonological processing and working memory.
The origin of learning disability depends on the interaction of many factors.
Perinatal pathology in central nervous system occurs among 80% of
children. Also hereditary predisposition plays an important role.
Family deprivation, peculiarity in upbringing, stress effect on psycho-
emotional state of children and 42% of children have high level of anxiety.
Personal characteristics, such as irritability, depression, low self esteem and
others also lead to additional difficulties, especially in communication with
teachers and peers.
The appearance of low-frequency EEG rhythms and reduction of energy
consumption, especially in the frontal cortex on the background of higher
cerebral energy metabolism of the brain as a whole indicates the relative
immaturity of the brain structures.