UNDERSTANDING LEARNING DISABILITIES

During the preschool years, children undergo rapid change and growth – physically, mentally and emotionally. And they do this at different rates. So it is important to know whether they are ready and able to succeed in school. There are many reasons why they may not be able to learn, such as:

· Hearing problems

· Poor motivation

· Emotional problems

· Mental retardation

Some school-age children with none of the above problems still have trouble in a school setting. These children may have normal, near normal or above normal intelligence. This inability to reach their full potential is called a learning disability.

In many cases, the cause of a learning disability is not known. Experts believe that children with learning disabilities have a problem with the way the brain handles information. This hinders the normal learning process. Learning disabilities often make children feel bad about themselves. Parents need to understand this and provide their children with love and support.

The problem they are going through is similar to a distorted television picture caused by “technical problems” at the station. There is nothing wrong with the TV camera at the station or the TV set in your home. Yet, the picture is not clear. Something in the internal workings of the TV station prevents it from presenting a good picture.

There may be nothing wrong with the way children with learning disabilities take in information. Their senses of sight and sound are fine. The problem occurs in the brain after the eyes or ears have done their job. For example, it is easy to blame reading difficulties on the eyes. But, visual problems do not cause learning disabilities. Children with learning disabilities have no greater rate of eye problems than the rest of the population.

This problem in brain function delays the normal learning process. For this reason, it requires special teaching methods. A learning disability is not just a minor problem that simply goes away as children mature. A learning disability must be identified and treated early. If it is, there’s a greater chance that children with learning disabilities will reach their potential. If it isn’t, it could lead to major emotional problems causing depression and withdrawal. Both factors are linked to school failure.

Learning disabilities are not uncommon. They appear to be more common in boys than girls. More than one out of 10 public school students may be in need of special education. Of these, about half have some type of learning disability.