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Learning disability refers to a broad range of brain-related abnormalities that persistently interfere with an individual's ability to learn and use new information, usually despite normal intellectual ability. Learning disability is commonly due to a developmental condition, but may be due to an acquired condition when a specific injury occurs in one or another brain area that impedes normal learning. Identification of the precise nature of learning disability can be quite challenging. Accurate diagnosis of the cause of learning disability is necessary for proper treatment. While normal variation exists among people in their abilities to learn, the term "learning disability" refers to a specific brain condition that precludes effective learning. Neuropsychological causes of learning disability must be differentiated from emotional, environmental, attitudinal, or other causes and from normal individual differences in learning potential. Structural damage to the brain can occur as a result of birth trauma, insufficient oxygen, encephalitis, and so forth. Damage may result in such problems as reading impairment (dyslexia), delayed maturation, clumsiness, hyperactivity, and perceptual disorganization. Electrical, chemical, and metabolic abnormalities in the brain can also occur that interfere with communications among the neural structures. Unusual development of lateralized brain function may interfere with the brain's ability to integrate visual and auditory signals, thus confusing an individual's ability to match the sights with the sounds of language. The broad field of learning disabilities underscores the need to look for specific brain abnormalities and the functional consequences of those abnormalities. Psychoeducational and neuropsychological tests can provide diagnostic clarity as to the source of a learning disability and can provide suggestions for using functional strengths to minimize weaknesses. Learning strategies can be devised to help strengthen deficits and to work around deficits that cannot be improved. Additional information about learning disabilities may be found at LD Online. The Learning Disabilities Association of America provides more information. For support groups, educational programs, and other resources to meet your needs, search Google.
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Copyright ©1999, 2000, 2001 Dennis P.
Swiercinsky, Ph.D. |
