Learning Disabilities Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment on MedicineNet.com

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February 10, 2012

Learning Disability Index

Featured: Learning Disabilities Main Article

Learning disabilities can cause an individual to have trouble learning and using skills such as reading, listening, writing, reading, speaking, reasoning, and performing mathematics. There is no cure for learning disabilities. Parents and teachers working together to properly diagnose learning disabilities can properly plan a course of education. For some, medication may be appropriate as complimentary treatment.

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Terms related to Learning Disability:

  • Asperger’s Syndrome
  • Auditory processing disorder
  • Developmental Coordination Disorder
  • Disability, Learning
  • Disorder of Written Expression
  • Expressive Language Disorder
  • Mathematics Disorder
  • Mixed Receptive-Expressive Language Disorder
  • Phonological Disorder
  • Reading Disorder
  • Sensory Integration Dysfunction
  • Stuttering
  • Visual processing disorder


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  • Related Diseases & Conditions

    • Dyslexia
      • Dyslexia affects a person's ability to spell, read, write, or even speak. It's considered the most common learning disability in children. Dyslexia may be caused by genetics, hormonal development during the early stages of fetal development, or injury to the area of the brain that controls reading and writing.
    • Drug Abuse
      • Drug addiction is a chronic disease that causes drug-seeking behavior and drug use despite negative consequences to the user and those around him. Though the initial decision to use drugs is voluntary, changes in the brain caused by repeated drug abuse can affect a person's self-control and ability to make the right decisions and increase the urge to take drugs. Drug abuse and addiction are preventable.
    • Adult ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
      • ADHD afflicts approximately 3 percent to 5 percent of school-age children and an estimated 60 percent of those maintain the disorder into adulthood. Symptoms of adult ADHD include chronic lateness, anxiety, low self esteem, employment problems, difficulty controlling anger, impulsiveness, poor organization skills, procrastination, chronic boredom among others.
    • ADHD
      • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioral disorder characterized by the symptoms hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. Treatment for ADHD may involve behavioral therapy and psychostimulant or antidepressant medication.
    • Autism (In Children and Adults)
      • Autism in children and adults is a developmental disorder, characterized by impaired development in communication, social interaction, and behavior. Autism is classified as a pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), which is part of a broad spectrum of developmental disorders affecting young children and adults. There are numerous theories and studies about the cause of autism. The treatment model for autism is an educational program that is suitable to an individual's developmental level of performance. There is no "cure" for autism.
    • Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
      • Alcohol intake by a pregnant mother may result in fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) in her child. A child with FAS may be hyperactive and have a low IQ, a small head, a growth lag, short eye openings, flattened cheekbones, a short nose, a smooth, thin upper lip, shortening of the fourth and fifth fingers, and a heart murmur.
    • Child Abuse
      • Child abuse falls into four categories: neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and emotional abuse. There are certain risk factors that predispose a child to being abused and an adult to abusing a child. Risk factors for children are age, children with learning disabilities, adopted and foster children, children with congenital abnormalities, and a past history of abuse. Parental risk factors include young or single parents, those who suffered abuse themselves, adults with substance-abuse problems or psychiatric disease, and those who didn't graduate from high school.
    • Fragile X Syndrome
      • Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited form of mental retardation. It's caused by a mutation on the X chromosome. People with Fragile X syndrome suffer from physical, social, emotional, speech, language, sensory, intelligence, and learning impairments. There is no definitive treatment for Fragile X, though there are ways to minimize the symptoms.
    • Aphasia
      • Aphasia is a condition that is the result of damage to portions of the brain. It can be caused by stroke, head injury, brain tumor, or infection. There are two types of aphasia, fluent and non-fluent. Some patients may fully recover from aphasia over time, while others may not.
    • Genetic Disease
      • Genetic disease is a disorder or condition caused by abnormalities in a person's genome. Types of genetic inheritance include single inheritance (for example, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell anemia, Marfan syndrome, and hemochromatosis), multifactoral inheritance, chromosome abnormalities (for example, Turner syndrome, and Klinefelter syndrome), and mitochondrial inheritance (for example, epilepsy and dementia).
    • Birth Defects
      • Birth defects have many causes and currently, are the leading cause of death for infants in the first year of life. Some of the causes of birth defects include genetic or chromosome problems. Exposure of the mother to rubella or German measles during pregnancy, or using drugs or alcohol during pregnancy. The treatment for birth defects depends upon the condition of the effected child.
    • Spina Bifida and Anencephaly (Neural Tube Defects)
      • Spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect in the United States. There are four types of spina bifida; 1) occulta, 2) closed neural tube defects, 3) meningocele, and 4) myelomeningocele. The cause of spina bifida is not known. Theories include genetic, nutritional, and environmental factors. Lack of folic acid during pregnancy is highly suspected. Symptoms of spina bifida vary from individual to individual. Treatment depends on the type of spina bifida the person suffers.
    • Microcephaly
      • Microcephaly is a genetic condition where the circumference of the head is smaller than normal due to underdeveloped brain. Microcephaly is caused by genetic abnormalities, or from abuse of alcohol, drugs, infection (for example, German measles or chickenpox), exposure to toxins, or PKU while the mother is pregnant. Symptoms of microcephaly depend upon the severity of the accompanying syndrome. There is not treatment for microcephaly.
    • Prader-Willi Syndrome
      • Prader-Willi syndrome is a condition characterized by severe floppiness (hypotonia), poor growth, delayed development, and poor feeding problems in early infancy later followed in infancy by excessive eating that may lead to extreme obesity. The genitals in both females and males are underdeveloped and most are infertile. Prader-Willi syndrome is related to chromosome 15.
    • Children's Health
      • Children's health is focused on the well-being of children from conception through adolescence. There are many aspects of children's health, including growth and development, illnesses, injuries, behavior, mental illness, family health and community health.
    • Auditory Processing Disorder in Children
    • Sign Language
      • American Sign Language (ASL) is a complete, complex language that employs signs made with the hands and other movements, including facial expressions and postures of the body. No one form of sign language is universal. For example, British Sign Language (BSL) differs notably from ASL. Different sign languages are used in different countries or regions.
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