Introduction – What is a learning disability?
Learning disabilities are common in children and are not always diagnosed as such. A learning disorder can be long lasting or chronic in nature. The severity of a learning disability can be mild, moderate or very severe. A learning disorder can define itself in a child in terms of a specific area of performance or even have a negative effect on the entire range of performance. Accordingly, learning disabilities can be very differently pronounced in different children.
What are the causes of learning disabilities in children?
Learning disabilities in children can have many different causes. Some learning disabilities are linked to organic causes. Learning disabilities can be hereditary or a symptom of certain diseases like autism or ADHD.
If a learning disorder does not appear until adulthood, under certain circumstances even severe brain damage can be the trigger, such as a stroke or craniocerebral trauma. In addition to these serious causes of learning disabilities, there are reasons that are less obvious. If children suffer from enormous pressure of expectation from parents and/or teachers or suffer from fear of school, serious learning blockages can occur.
The social environment plays an important role in the development of learning disabilities. If children have problems at home or their parents are divorced or have many conflicts that the children are aware of, this can have a negative effect on the children’s performance. Children can also suffer when they are bullied by classmates. Learning disabilities can have genetic, organic, but also psychosocial causes.
Diagnosis learning disability – What now?
If you as a parent suspect that your child has a learning disability, it can be helpful to first of all have a conversation with the child’s teacher. He or she can assess the child’s learning behavior and often better judge whether it is a temporary learning block or a learning disability in need of treatment. The school and the pediatrician can recommend child and adolescent psychiatrists if a learning disorder is suspected. These are experts who can professionally examine the child’s development and learning behavior.
