About Neurological Learning Disorders

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), roughly 15 percent of all Americans struggle with neurological learning disorders. While some people have only a minor learning disability, others have severe learning problems. Besides standing in the way of academic achievements, learning disorders can affect all areas of daily life. If they're not addressed and treated, people can suffer repeated failures, causing low self-esteem. However, with the proper help and support, those with learning disorders can live normal, productive lives.

Identification

• Neurological learning disabilities, also called learning differences, are disorders affecting the ability to understand what's seen and heard. People with learning disorders have difficulties linking information from various parts of the brain. Learning disabilities cover a wide range of disorders including difficulties reading, writing, speaking, doing math and paying attention.

Types

• The most common learning disability is dyslexia, a reading disorder. Children with dyslexia have trouble seeing words as they appear on a page and often transpose or add letters. Dyslexics struggle to understand the relationships between sounds, letters and words, besides understanding meanings of words, phrases and paragraphs. Dysgraphia is a writing disorder involving difficulties forming letters and sentences, presenting challenges in punctuation, penmanship and grammar skills. Dyscalculia is a learning disability in recognizing numbers, counting skills and understanding basic mathematical concepts.

Causes

• It's uncertain what causes learning disabilities, although scientists have found certain differences in the brain structures of learning disabled people. The language-related part of the brain, called the planum temporale, is located on both sides of the brain. The left and right structures are the same size in dyslexics. However, the left planum temporale is considerably larger in non-dyslexics. Rather than having a single neurological cause, learning disabilities may be due to various factors such as genetics, errors in fetal brain development and environmental toxins.

Diagnosing Learning Disabilities

• A speech therapist checks for speech and language disorders by testing a child's pronunciation and vocabulary skills, comparing them to the developmental abilities of other children the same age. Testing is done by a psychologist for intelligence, and a medical doctor looks for possible ear infections. For any hearing problems, an audiologist may be consulted. A doctor may examine a child's throat and vocal cords for articulation problems. As for disorders in academic skills such as reading, writing and math, evaluations are done using standardized tests, along with vision and hearing testing.

Treatment

• Educators use repetitive exercises, incorporating senses such as sight, sound and touch. Instruction is usually slow-paced. Treatments for learning disabilities are highly individualized. For example, students with writing disabilities are compensated for their disabilities by using aides such as tape recorders for taking notes. Many students have school paraprofessionals (paras) who assist them in classrooms. If a student has severe learning disabilities, a one-on-one para may be needed for helping the child get through the school day. Some medications can also help students who have difficulties focusing.

Misconceptions

• Many people believe learning disabled children are intellectually inferior. However, having a learning disability has nothing to do with intelligence. Notables such as Albert Einstein and General George Patton had learning disabilities, but they didn't let them get in the way of their ultimate achievements. Another misconception is that learning disabilities can be cured, when in reality, they're lifetime conditions.

Warning

• Not every learning problem is a learning disability. Many children develop slower than other kids in achieving particular skills. Rather than a learning disability, a child may be delayed in maturation. To be considered a learning problem, particular criteria must be met in a diagnosis.