Cause of specific learning disability
National Association of Special Education Teachers: Causes of Learning Disabilities
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Causes of Learning Disabilities
What causes learning disabilities? Are they preventable? If I have one, will my child inherit it? Hear what experts have to say about causality and learning disabilities.
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).
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Resources
- Resources for Special Education Teachers
- Advocacy (Board Certification for Advocacy in Special Education) BCASE
- Board Certification in Special Education
- Professional Development Program (PDP) Free to NASET Members
- Courses - Professional Development Courses (Free With Membership)
- Forms, Tables, Checklists, and Procedures for Special Education Teachers
- Video and Power Point Library
- IEP Development
- Exceptional Students and Disability Information
- Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
- Autism
- Early Intervention
- Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
- Generalized Anxiety
- Gifted and Talented
- Hearing Impairments
- Learning Disabilities
- Intellectual Disabilities
- Orthopedic Impairments
- Other Health Impairments
- Rett Syndrome
- Speech and Language Impairments
- Traumatic Brain Injury and Neurological Impairment
- Visual Impairments
- Special Education and the Law
- Transition Services
- Literacy - Teaching Literacy in English to K-5 English Learners
- Facebook - Special Education Teacher Group
- NASET Sponsor's Products and Services
What Is a Specific Learning Disability? Definition, Types, Causes
Tanya J.
Peterson
When a child has a specific learning disability, they struggle significantly with certain learning areas and tasks. Teachers will notice if a student is performing at a level much lower than what is standard for their age. Parents see their child struggling with homework (or avoiding it altogether), or they notice that their child hates, and does poorly with, reading or games and activities involving reading, writing, or math. Whether it’s mild, moderate, or severe, a specific learning disability interferes in academic performance and affects a child’s self-esteem, emotions, behavior, and friendships.
Two terms are used for the learning problems that hinder kids. “Specific learning disability” is a technical description used in the educational and legal systems. “Specific learning disorder,” a new diagnosis introduced in the DSM-5 in 2013, is the medical term used in officially diagnosing someone with a learning problem.
There’s a bit of difference between the two official terms, but outside of education, law, medicine, and psychiatry, many people use them interchangeably.
Therefore, this article uses both terms to refer to the same concept: a substantial set of difficulties that disrupt the learning and life of a child.
What Is a Specific Learning Disability? Definition of Specific Learning Disorder
To understand what a specific learning disability is, it’s helpful to know what it is not. It isn’t an intellectual disability (formerly called mental retardation). Intelligence isn’t a factor in the inability to learn certain things. In fact, most people with a learning disability are of average or above-average intelligence. The issue with specific learning disabilities is that kids can’t acquire certain academic skills.
A specific learning disorder definition is academic underachievement that is unanticipated. A child is doing poorly in school, and at first this is surprising to teachers and parents. When a kid’s potential is strong, but their academic performance is weak, specific learning disability is often at work.
Some factors that describe what a specific learning disorder is include:
- Low scholastic achievement despite potential
- High levels of support needed for average achievement
- Fewer academic skills than agemates
- Deficiencies not explained by developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, neurological disorders, sensory disorder, or motor disorders
- Unrelated to external circumstances like poverty or a lack of education in the child’s family
- Persistence—learning problems don’t improve with time
A specific learning disability, then, is a permanent disorder that disrupts the ability to learn and to keep up with classmates.
It has a negative impact on a child’s learning and life in general. There are multiple types of specific learning disorders that interfere with academic learning and progress.
Specific Learning Disability Types
After thorough testing and other assessments, a child might receive a diagnosis of specific learning disorder. Then, at least one subtype will be specified. The three subtypes in the DSM-5 are
- Dyslexia, a reading disorder
- Dysgraphia, a writing disorder
- Dyscalculia, a math disorder
Disabilities in reading, writing, and math are the most common specific learning disorders, but they aren’t the only ones. Other types of specific learning disabilities include:
- Auditory or processing disorders affect how the brain interprets and processes sounds and visual input
- Language processing disorder, a component of auditory processing disorder, disrupts a child’s ability to make sounds meaningful
- Non-verbal learning disorder creates problems with interpreting facial expression and body language which in turn can cause poor social skills
Specific learning disabilities can cause problems in all areas of learning.
However, there isn’t a science or social studies or other learning disorder because the problems in these areas are caused by dyslexia or dysgraphia.
Specific learning disability types cause significant problems for a child. What causes these learning disorders?
Specific Learning Disability Causes
Specific learning disorder is complex, and the cause isn’t straightforward. Nonetheless, some causes have been identified: genetics or heredity and environment.
Learning disabilities have a strong genetic component. If a child has a parent with a learning disability, the child’s risk for having a specific learning disorder is much higher.
Sometimes, exposure to toxins like lead can cause or contribute to the development of a specific learning disorder. Studies have shown, too, that prenatal poor nutrition or exposure to toxic substances can cause specific learning disorder.
A specific learning disability, or specific learning disorder, is a deficit that negatively impacts a child’s ability to learn.
With understanding and support from parents and teachers, kids can learn and thrive despite learning disabilities.
See Also:
What Causes Learning Disabilities?
article references
APA Reference
Peterson, T. (2022, January 17). What Is a Specific Learning Disability? Definition, Types, Causes, HealthyPlace. Retrieved on 2022, October 31 from https://www.healthyplace.com/parenting/learning-disabilities/what-is-a-specific-learning-disability-definition-types-causes
Last Updated: January 17, 2022
Medically reviewed by Harry Croft, MD
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Learning Disabilities: Identifying Signs and Supporting Your Child
Learning Disabilities are severe and persistent learning difficulties in reading, spelling, writing, and math.
A child with a learning disability has a low level of ability in one or more of these areas. Educational abilities, age, etc. are taken into account.
Learning disabilities are sometimes referred to as specific learning disabilities, learning difficulties, specific learning difficulties and dyslexia.
Learning disabilities should be assessed and diagnosed by professionals.
Causes of learning disabilities
We do not yet fully understand the exact causes of learning disabilities. But we do know that when a child is unable to learn, parts of his/her brain experience difficulty processing information - this is called "neurological processing difficulty".
General "processing difficulties" include difficulty processing sounds in words or problems remembering unrelated pieces of information, such as a new list of numbers or letters.
Learning disabilities are associated with certain genes and can be inherited. If other members of your family have problems with reading or spelling, or have been diagnosed with a learning disability, chances are that the next generation of children may have the same problems.
Signs of a learning disability
If you think your child may have a learning disability, look for some common signs. Having one or more of these does not mean that your child definitely has a learning disability. But if you're worried, it's a good idea to talk to your child's teacher or family therapist.
If your child has a learning disability, he/she:
- does not like to read and/or has difficulty reading;
- has trouble writing common words;
- it is difficult to distinguish sounds and syllables in words;
- can come up with many interesting ideas, but finds writing them down difficult and slow;
- may have sloppy handwriting;
- is not very confident in school work.
Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities: Steps to Take
Talk to your child's teacher
If you are worried that your child is having trouble at school and may have learning disabilities, you can start by talking to your child's teacher.
You can ask questions about how well your child is doing in reading, writing and math. It may also be worth talking about the teacher's impression of your child's self-esteem and his/her involvement in learning.
The teacher can test your child and discuss the results with you. This can help you understand if there is any pattern in the occurrence of problems.
Request an assessment
If you are still concerned, ask for a formal assessment at your school.
At this stage, you can involve a speech therapist or psychologist. They will help to check all possible causes. If you have to wait a long time or the assessment is not available at your school, you can make an appointment with a specialist in private, but you will have to pay for this.
It is important to see a GP to check your child's vision and hearing. In this way, you will rule out problems in these areas as the cause of your child's difficulties.
How to tell your child about learning disabilities
Children with learning disabilities cannot do things like reading as easily as their peers.
This can lead them to think of themselves as "stupid" or "stupid".
Telling a child that he has learning problems will help him overcome this way of thinking. You can tell your child that a learning disability means their brain processes information differently, but that's doesn't mean he's not as smart as the other kids.
Your child's psychologist or speech therapist can give you advice and help explain to your child what a disability is in a way that he/she can understand.
You can also highlight the positive things your child can do to live and learn with a learning disability. You might mention that many truly successful people have learning disabilities.
Helping your child with learning disabilities build resilience and self-esteem
Children with learning disabilities may suffer from low self-esteem. They are also at higher risk of dropping out of school if the disability is not identified in time.
This means it's important to identify learning problems early and help your child build resilience. Resilience is the ability to overcome challenges and setbacks. It is an important life skill for all children, especially those with learning disabilities.
To help your child be resilient and feel positive about their abilities and disabilities, you can try the following suggestions.
Be a role model
You can be a role model for your child by being positive, assertive and persistent. For example, if you baked a not-so-delicious cake, you might say, “It doesn't matter. I'll try a different recipe next time." Or, if you get negative feedback at work, you might say, "This is hard to hear, but I can also learn from this."
fun and encouragement
- Always praise your child for what he/she decides to do.
- Mark your child's abilities and achievements by pointing out non-academic things in which he/she excels.
It can be sports, music, drama, kindness and friendliness, or being a great cook. - Encourage your child to see the positive things in his/her life and see that learning difficulties are only a small part of who he/she is.
- Encourage the child to decide what he/she needs to overcome difficulties - for example, do written instructions and diagrams help, or does he/she prefer verbal ones?
- Take time to be with your child, listen and have fun together. This tells him/her that he/she is special, important and worth spending time with.
- Encourage your child to try new things. Understanding that he/she can study hard will help your child keep going when he/she is having a hard time.
Responsibilities and Expectations
- Give your child the opportunity to take on family responsibilities, make decisions and choices for themselves. Feeling in control is a powerful motivator for boosting self-esteem.
- Be supportive, but don't overdo it, in protecting your child.
You can do this with the expectation that your child will try their best and complete tasks like homework despite the added challenges. - Give your child the opportunity to try something new, such as cooking, chess or photography. Doing these activities with your child is a good way to make sure your child succeeds and has fun learning new skills.
Getting extra support for people with learning disabilities
Extra support can give your child the best chance of success in school. If health professionals recommend additional support, you will need a professional, documented assessment to prove your child is eligible for things like extra exam time, learning from a reading expert, or special computer software.
There are many different types of out-of-school support for children with learning disabilities, including help from specialized tutors. The best support for your child will depend on his/her ability to learn.
You can talk to the teacher or other professionals working with your child to find out what is best for your child and your family.
You may need to try several different types of support before you decide what is right for your child and family. It will also show your child how to be persistent and not give up.
12.5. Learning disability
Specific learning disability - CHO (learning disabilities) are often identified with the concept mental retardation. AtoN combines a number of cognitive disorders, interfering with schooling, despite to a preserved intellect. Quantity children with specific reading, writing, arithmetic disorders some estimates are 20-30%.
Among aids to navigation the most studied is the specific an inability to read (dyslexia), or congenital "verbal blindness". Suggested to be the cause of dyslexia are specific violations in brain cells. Cases of dyslexia are family in nature.
In genetic dyslexia is being considered as a complex multifactorial trait with threshold effect.
Phenotypic the variability of dyslexia is extremely large and change with age. AT currently able to find possible zones of chromosomal localization dyslexia.
48. Psychogenetic research on mental disorders development (dyslexia, early childhood autism, attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity).
12.5. failure to for training
A special group of cognitive impairments constitutes a specific incapacity to learning (CHO). In English literature these disorders are collectively referred to as learning disabilities. In domestic literature while there is no generally accepted term for designations of this group of violations development. They are often identified with the concept of mental retardation (ZPR) (see Reader. 12.4). Sometimes you can meet terms such as "difficulty school education" or "school difficulties". It is clear that failure in school can be explained by various reasons - low motivation, pedagogical neglect, true mental retardation, disease, not related to the mental sphere and etc.
Do not mix school underachievement with CHO. specific learning disability unites a number of cognitive disorders that interfere schooling, despite the intact intelligence. Most often, it is observed difficulties in mastering basic school skills (reading, writing, accounts). Quantity children with severe difficulties in education, according to many experts, is about 20-30%. Of these, up to 20% belongs to specific violations of reading, counting, writing. it means that in each class approximately a quarter of children have difficulty mastering standard educational program and the main reason for this is specific developmental disorders, not bad adherence. Unfortunately misunderstanding this from teachers and parents leads to a decrease in self-esteem in such children and is often the cause of school maladjustment and deviant behavior. Considering that the number of children with SHO around the world tends to increase, it becomes clear that the problem diagnosis and correction of CHO is worth extremely sharp.
