Causes of learning disabilities

1. CAUSES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
BY MS. CLAIRE ANN B. PANGILINAN, LPT

2. WHAT IS LEARNING DISABILITY?
 A condition giving rise to difficulties in acquiring
knowledge and skills to the level expected of those of the
same age, especially when not associated with a physical
handicap.

3. WHAT IS LEARNING DISABILITY?
 Disorder in one or more psychological processes involved in
understanding or using language, spoken or written which
may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, to speak,
to read, to write and spell or to do mathematical calculations.

4. CAUSES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
There appears to be an unknown cause of
learning disabilities. - David Urion, M.D.

5. CAUSES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
Sheldon Horowitz, Ed.D.:
Experts aren’t exactly sure what causes learning disabilities. Some possibilities
include:
 Heredity: Often, learning disabilities run in the family, so it’s not uncommon
to find that people with learning disabilities have parents or other relatives
with similar difficulties.
 Problems during pregnancy and birth: Learning disabilities may be caused
by illness or injury during or before birth. It may also be caused by low birth
weight, lack of oxygen, drug and alcohol use during pregnancy, and
premature or prolonged labor.
 Incidents after birth: Head injuries, nutritional deprivation, and exposure to
toxic substances (i.e. lead) can contribute to learning disabilities.

6. CAUSES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES

7. CAUSES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
 Acquired trauma - presumes to be due to central nervous
dysfunction. When the brain is developing before, during, or after
birth.

8. CAUSES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
 Biochemical Imbalance - it was once theorized that biochemical
disturbances within a child’s body caused learning disabilities. For
example, Feingold (1975, 1976) claimed that artificial colorings and
flavorings in many of the foods children eat can cause learning
disabilities and hyperactivity.

9. CAUSES OF LEARNING DISABILITIES
 Environmental Factors/Poor Instruction - Although very difficult
to document as primary causes of learning disabilities,
environmental factors - particularly impoverished living conditions
early in a child’s life and poor instruction, probably contribute to
the achievement deficits experienced by many children in this
special education category. Children cannot learn if they have not
been properly taught. Quality schools and excellent teachers count.
Oftentimes children who have received low-quality schooling are
misdiagnosed with learning disabilities.