e the attention disorders. Although Attention DeficitDisorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) arenot actual learning disabilities they may have a major impact on the childsability to learn (CEC, 1999). Another aspect that separates a learning disability from otherdisabilities is that currently the cause is unclear. In the past it wasbelieved that LDs were the result of a single neurological problem. Howeverrecent research seems to indicate that most learning dissabilities do notstem from a specific area of the brain, but from difficulties in bringingtogether information from various regions of the brain (NIMH, 1999). Thereare several possible reasons how a child might develop these subtledisturbances in the brain. When the brain is developing as a fetus is highly vulnerable. If itsdevelopment is disrupted early in the development that fetus may die orsuffer from more severe dissabilities. If, however, the disturbance occurslater in development when the cells in the brain are becoming specialized(this is when areas associated with attention, thinking and emotion developas well as processing sight, sound and other senses) then the result may showup as a LD as the child develops (NIMH, 1999). The use of tabacco, alcohol, or other drugs during pregnancy may alsohave damaging effects on the unborn child. Many drugs taken by the motherare passed directly onto the fetus. Babies born to mother who smoke forinstance are more likely to have a low birth weight. Newborns born underweight tend to be at risk for a variety of problems one of which is alearning disability. Alcohol may distort the developing neutrons and iftaken in large amounts may result in fetal alcohol syndrome, a condition thatleads to intellectual impairment (NIMH,1999). Complications during pregnancy or delivery are another possible cause ofa LD. In some instances the mothers immune system will react to the fetus asa virus...
