What is a learning disability?
If your child seems bright and curious about the world but has a noticeable problem with speech, reading, or arithmetic, he may have a learning disability. Learning disabilities include a spectrum of disorders that affect the way the brain processes information and make it difficult to grasp certain concepts. They can be mild or severe. Children with learning disabilities usually have normal or above normal intelligence but struggle with some kinds of learning.
Recognizing individual letters might be easy but putting them together to read may be confusing. Tying shoes or fitting together the pieces of a puzzle may be perplexing, or simple math insurmountable.Because children with learning disabilities have such a hard time mastering certain tasks, they are often frustrated, angry, or depressed, and they may have a poor image of themselves. Children with learning disabilities may know just what they want to accomplish, what they want to say or write or do, but can't find a straightforward path to do it.
What causes learning disabilities?
Most experts believe learning disabilities are the result of subtle neurological problems affecting the way the brain receives, interprets, and sends information. Scientists don't clearly understand their cause, but many believe they are related to small abnormalities in the way the brain develops. They appear to run in families, suggesting a genetic link. They also may result from a mother's alcohol or drug abuse during pregnancy or serious problems during labor and delivery.
