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KEY POINTS
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A learning disability (LD) is a disorder that affects the way that the brain receives, processes, stores, and responds to information. There are many kinds of learning disabilities. Your child may have problems with listening, speaking, reading, spelling, writing, reasoning, remembering, or solving math problems. Learning disabilities can range from mild to severe. LDs can make it hard for your child to learn new things in different areas of life, not just in school.
The causes for most LDs are not known. They tend to run in families. Learning disabilities may be caused by changes in brain chemicals or damage in certain parts of the brain.
A child is more likely to have a learning disability if the mother used drugs or alcohol during pregnancy. A problem such as an infection or malnutrition while you are pregnant may also increase the risk. LDs are also more common in children who:
A child who has a learning disability may also have hearing or vision problems, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or emotional problems. However, LDs are not caused by these conditions or by cultural differences or poor parenting.
There are many types of learning disabilities and the signs of each can be different. If a child has average or above-average intelligence and is doing poorly in school, your child may have a learning disability. Your child may have mild or severe problems. Your child may also have more than one LD. Children with learning disabilities tend to have challenges in school even though they have normal or above-normal intelligence. A child with an LD may have problems in one or many of the following areas:
Attention: Your child may have trouble paying attention, be impulsive, or get tired easily when trying to concentrate.
Language: Your child may have trouble following directions and need to have things repeated. Your child may use the wrong words or mix up words. Telling a story may be hard because the events get mixed up.
Time-Space orientation: Your child may have trouble understanding time such as the difference between tomorrow and next week. Your child may have trouble with directions and often get lost.
Visual processing: Your child may see letters or words backwards as with confusing b's and d's or reading "was" as "saw." Your child may write slowly or have poor handwriting.
Auditory processing: Your child may have trouble focusing on important sounds instead of background noise. Your child may seem inattentive and have trouble following spoken instructions.
Memory: Your child may not remember basic information such as an address and phone number. It may be hard to remember multiplication tables or days of the week. Short-term memory may be a problem. Your child may forget instructions or lose track while telling a story or having a conversation. Your child may lose homework, schoolbooks, or other items.
Math skills: Your child may have trouble with math concepts such as counting, adding, subtracting, multiplying, fractions, and measurements.
Motor control: Your child may have trouble with fine motor control and have a hard time doing buttons and zippers, or have trouble holding a pencil. If your child seems clumsy or awkward, your child may have problems with gross motor control.
Your child’s healthcare provider will ask about your child's development at each well child visit. Tell your provider about any concerns you have and anything that seems unusual. Do not ignore problems, thinking that your child is just a little slow and will "catch up." Your child’s provider will check to make sure there is no medical problem that could cause the symptoms.
Ask your school to evaluate your child. All public school districts in the US are required to offer special services for children with these conditions, free of charge. Services for preschool children usually begin around 3 years of age. For school-age children, public school districts provide services through 21 years of age, or until they graduate from high school, whichever comes first.
The school's testing may be needed for your child to qualify for extra help at school. A team of people will test your child to find out exactly what the problems are and how to help your child. The evaluation includes testing and talking with teachers and parents.
The team of people that will evaluate your child may include a psychologist, child psychiatrist, nurse, special education teacher, speech/language therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, social worker, or other healthcare providers.
Sometimes you are given one specific diagnosis. Other times you may be told that your child has more than one LD. Some of the common disorders are:
The results of the testing will determine whether your child can have special education services provided at school.
Many states offer Early Intervention Programs for children under 5 years of age who have an LD. Some states offer special developmental preschool classes. Early treatment increases your child's ability to succeed and learn new skills.
Some services are given only if your child has a certain diagnosis. Ask your school for which disorders they provide special services. Once you understand the problem you can work with school staff to develop an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP). Parents must help write and agree with the IEP. The IEP must outline:
To get the best help for your child, you must work closely with the other team members. If you do not agree with the test results, services, or therapies, voice your concerns at the IEP meeting. Signing the IEP means that you agree to the services, goals, and other matters listed in it.
If the school cannot offer special services, you can look for help from private tutors, learning centers, psychologists, and others to help your child. Check with your state’s disabilities resource center to find out if there are state programs that can help. Even if your child is not on an IEP or in special education classes, your child's teacher can still modify assignments and help your child. Make sure you talk to your child's teacher.
Depending on the disability, there are many ways to help your child at home. It is important to do the following: