About Learning Disabilities

What causes learning disabilities?

Little is currently known about the causes of learning disabilities. However, some general observations can be made:

• Some children develop and mature at a slower rate than others in the same age group. As a result, they may not be able to do the expected school work. This kind of learning disability is called "maturational lag."
• Some children with normal vision and hearing may misinterpret everyday sights and sounds because of some unexplained disorder of the nervous system.
• Injuries before birth or in early childhood probably account for some later learning problems.
• Children born prematurely and children who had medical problems soon after birth sometimes have learning disabilities.
• Learning disabilities tend to run in families, so some learning disabilities may be inherited.
• Learning disabilities are more common in boys than girls, possibly because boys tend to mature more slowly.
• Some learning disabilities appear to be linked to the irregular spelling, pronunciation, and structure of the English language. The incidence of learning disabilities is lower in Spanish or Italian speaking countries.

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