Learning Disabilities: Signs, Causes, Evaluation and Help

What they are

Learning disabilities are conditions that affect the ability to learn. They can cause trouble with:

• understanding what people say;
• speaking;
• reading;
• writing;
• math;
• paying attention.

Children often have more than one, and may also have another condition, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which makes learning harder still. The sooner a learning disability is found and addressed, the better a child is likely to do in school.

Causes

Learning disabilities have nothing to do with how smart a child is. They come from differences in the brain that affect how it takes in and uses information, usually present from birth. Factors that can play a part:

• genetics;
• environmental exposures, such as lead;
• substance use during pregnancy.

Diagnosis

Finding it early is best, but learning disabilities usually aren't noticed until a child is in school. If your child is struggling, ask their teacher or health care provider about an evaluation, which may include:

• a physical exam, to check for a medical problem that could make learning harder;
• questions about family history;
• tests of intellectual and school performance.

Treatment

Special education is the most common. A teacher or learning specialist helps a child build skills on their strengths and find ways around their weaknesses, and may suggest how you can help with homework. Instructors may use special teaching methods, change the classroom, or use assistive technology. Some children also work with tutors or speech and language therapists.

A learning disability can bring low self-esteem, frustration and other problems. Mental health professionals can help a child understand these feelings, build coping skills and form healthy relationships. A child with another condition, such as ADHD, needs treatment for it too.

Sources

Based on "Learning Disabilities," MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine, drawing on the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIH); a work of the United States government in the public domain.