Understanding Learning Disabilities

There is probably no single factor you can point to as being the single cause of a child with a learning disability, but rather there are many factors combined that studies show to be the probable causes of a child's learning disabilities. Some of these include:

1. Hereditary Factors

Many studies indicate that at least part of a learning disability problem is due to hereditary factors. This does not mean it is simple a random occurance but there is a strong possibility that it is a hereditary thing. The relationship between a person with a learning disability and his or her parentage is known as a "teratogenetic relationship", which is actually just a fancy way of saying hereditary. There is not any conclusive evidence to show that a learning disability is always hereditary in nature, but there is significant evidence to show that a learning disability is related to a lack of care during pregnancy. For example, if the birth mother had an alcohol or drug abuse problem during or immediately prior to pregnancy, then a child with a learning disability is much more likely. In cases such as this, there could be no effect whatsoever, there could be mild forms of learning disabilities, or if the alcohol or drug abuse problem was large, it could even mean serious learning disabilities in the form of mental retardation.

2. Medical Issues During Birth

Again this is yet another area of studies where conclusive proof has not yet been determined, but there is circumstantial evidence that problems during birth or a premature birth has certain ties to a child with learning disabilities. There are also questions under hot debate about the general health of the birth mother regarding her having certain signs of diabetes or meningitis, thereby passing some of those problems along to the unborn child during the later stages of pregnancy.

3. Abnormal Brain Function

It almost goes without saying that an abnormal brain structure or abnormal brain function can cause a learning disability to significantly varying degrees. This area begins to get into many other areas as well, since studies have shown that different types of learning disabilities have distinct neurological footprints or signatures. Ongoing studies are focusing on this particular aspect of learning disabilities in order to determine how this particlar facet may be corrected as medical science makes advances.

A child can inherit abnormal brain structure or function from their parents. But even with this inheritance, the child's environment still plays a significant role in how that abnormality will manifest itself, and make a huge difference in the child's life. Even a child with a learning disability who is raised in a loving, nurturing, and learning environment at home will frequently show significantly better results than a child with a learning disability who is raised in a much poorer learning environment.

Symptoms Of Learning Disability
1. The child has trouble or difficulty with spoken languag...
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How Are Learning Disabilities Diagnosed
First we will examine the ways in which you might go abo...
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Where Can I Get Help For Learning Disabilities
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