Learning Disabilities in Preschool Children

A learning disability is a condition where a child has an average or above average intelligence level, but has difficulty in one or more areas of learning. These disorders are neurological and can be caused by either the actual structure or the functioning style of the brain.

Intelligence and Disability Groups

• Young children with learning abilities usually have average or above average intelligence, but are unable to relate their understanding to others. With a learning disability, the information received by the child often becomes incorrectly translated by his brain. Learning disabilities are often categorized into three groups. The learning disability can be related to coordination or memory, a problem with speech, or difficulty in critical thinking within scholastic activities. It is common in children with learning disabilities to suffer in more than one of these categories simultaneously.

Warning Signs

• Warning signs of a learning disability in children below the age of five include delayed speech, impaired vocabulary advancement, delayed learning in math or reading, difficulty in wielding scissors, toys or a pencil and difficulty in following simple directions. Early signs of a learning disability are best noted within the context of normal behavior for children in preschool age group. Preschool children should begin learning the alphabet, colors, numbers, basic shapes and easy usage of obtained vocabulary.Children with learning disabilities may also have difficulty in making social connections with people outside of immediate family.

Cause and Risk Factors

• Scientists are unsure of the cause for learning disabilities. Known risk factors include low birth weight, genetic predisposition, previous treatment of certain medical conditions, injuries or diseases which adversely affect the nervous system, or poor nutrition. Learning disabilities are not caused by decreased intelligence, or environmental learning factors such as incorrect teaching of the child.

Types of Learning Disabilities

• According to Learning Disabilities Online, ADHD is not classified as a learning disability. Though ADHD can occur in conjunction with a learning disability, children will often have only one or the other disabilities. Learning disabilities are categorized by the different causes of the symptoms. Learning disabilities include problems receiving information into the brain, integrating information into understanding, expressing information to others, and sequencing or ordering information within the brain. Disabilities also include motor problems, auditory input disabilities, visual perception disability and long or short term memory retention disabilities. Ordinarily a child with a learning disability will have a combination of these traits, and according to Learning Disabilities online, it is uncommon for a child to have only one of these problems at a time.