One in five
children have some type of learning disability,
according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Learning disability is a broad term that can cover many
disorders. It is defined by the National Center for
Learning Disabilities as a disorder that interferes with
a person's ability to store, process, or produce
information, and creates a gap between one's ability and
performance. Children with learning disabilities may
suffer from problems with speech, language, reading,
mathematics, concentration, or reasoning.
In many cases, the cause of a learning
disability is not known. Experts believe that the
learning difficulties that accompany this disability
aren't the result of the way the child takes in
information--his sight and hearing are fine--but rather
the result of the way the brain processes the
information. Recent scans have actually shown
differences in the brains of children who have learning
difficulties. Certain types of learning disabilities,
such as dyslexia, can be inherited.
Learning disabilities are not the same
as mental retardation, autism, deafness, blindness, or
behavioral disorders. Children with learning
disabilities often have average or above-average
intelligence.
