Learning Disabilities: etiology, definition, prevalence

                                      Learning Disabilities

Students with learning disabilities have performance

deficits rather than ability deficits.

 

The term learning disability first appeared in 1963.

There is no one  definition of learning disability

 However, there are a number of characteristics that must be present including:

*   average intelligence

*   significant difficulties learning, listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning,   

     and or mathematical abilities without impairment of intellectual, sensory  

     or cultural handicap

A learning disability can be described as a syndrome of a number of behaviors 

                                                           that are intrinsic to an individual.

                                            Etiology 

Why do kids have learning disabilities? 

This is a very hard question to answer and in fact there is not definitive answer. 

  

 In most cases, the cause of the learning disability is unknown

• Some researchers say that learning disabilities are mostly caused from physiological factors.
• Other studies have shown that reading disabilities tend to run in the family
• Stress from school can be too much to handle
•  Maturity and learning styles of each child may not be met
• Other environmental factors include nutrition, diet and allergies

• Any kind of damage to the brain affects important functioning on neural cell growth during fetal development which may help us to understand some kinds of learning disabilities
•  Reading, writing, and spelling are not biological features that can be inherited

                                              Prevalence

•  Children with learning disabilities make up the largest group disabled children
• Diagnostic category rates are enormous
• The category learning disability is so broad the question is whether or not it is a disability at all
• Numbers of children being categorised as learning disabled has gone up so much because there are so many behavioural issues that are included
• Most kids who are labeled as slow learners, misbehaved or absent are included under the learning disabled category, which isn’t always the correct diagnosis
• Many kids with borderline intellectual diabilities are misdiagnosed as learning disabled.
• Boys are more likely to have learning disabilities at a 4 to 1 ratio

              Maturational Lags in Development

•  This means that children can develop and reach certain milestones slower than other children
• Does not always imply that there is a huge disability
• The progression of the child might be a bit slower in certain areas such as, language motor skills, cognitive, or socio-emotional development
• Usually the child will outgrow these challenges
• Each child is unique and meets milestones at different times
•  It is not realistic to expect each child to be ready at the same time
• When a child falls behind in development other issues can occur such as behavioural problems, reading difficulties, and trouble paying attention

                                      Dyslexia

• Dyslexia occurs when the skills needed for breaking down written words into units of sound do not work properly
• This means that the child has trouble reading due to the way the brain perceives the letters
  
• Genetic factors are considered to be the main cause
• More commonly found in boys than girls

      5 – 10% of the population has dyslexia
      60-80% of them being male