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Learning disorders are unlike mental retardation because in learning disorders the deficit is limited to a specific area. The possible areas in which a learning disorder could be diagnosed are reading, mathematics, and written expression. The child's performance in the area must be substantially below what would be expected for the child's age, intellectual level, and schooling. It would be possible, although unusual, for a child to receive a diagnosis of reading disorder plus mental retardation if the child's reading ability were far enough below what would be expected, given the observed IQ. The determination of what is "substantially below" expectations based on age, intellectual level, and schooling should be made by a professional who has been trained to make this kind of judgment. Learning disorders may lead individuals to have a poor self-image and an associated lack of social contacts, leading to fewer social skills and a general downward spiral. The percentage of people with language disorders is much higher in people with Conduct Disorders, Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and some other disorders, than in the general population. There are several potential causes of learning disorders, as there are for most mental disorders. Among them are genetic factors, perinatal problems, and in utero exposure to alcohol (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome). Again as usual, no cause can be identified for many cases of learning disorder. Children with reading disorder or mathematics disorder may have high IQs overall, and this may delay recognition of the disorder until the 2nd to 4th grade, or even later in some cases. Reading disorder generally can be corrected with early and persistent treatment. Little is known about the prognosis for children with a disorder of written expression. A University of Washington study reported in October 2000 showed
that dyslexic boys used five times as much brain to do a reading
task as boys who were reading above grade level. But on a music
task, there was no difference. The boys were between 8 and 13 years
old, an age at which special training might still help them to
overcome their dyslexia. DSM-IV identifies a fourth category of learning disorder: Learning Disorder not Otherwise Specified, when the child does not meet the criteria for any one of the preceding areas. Visit an impressive web site on learning disabilities. Last updated 12/19/03 |
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