e for frustration; and difficulty making decisions. It is important to remember that no one will have all these symptoms and all people, even those who are not learning disabled, have at least one or two of these problems to some degree. Even among the learning disabled, some symptoms are more common than others are. Also, the number of symptoms seen in a particular child does not give an indication as whether the disability is mild or severe. It is important to consider if the behaviors are chronic and appear in clusters. Learning disorders may be informally flagged by observing significant delays, usually a two-year delay in the primary grades, in the child’s skill development. Children can be informally flagged through observation, but an actual diagnosis is made using standardized tests comparing the child’s ability level to what is considered the normal development for a child of that age and intelligence. The outcome of the test relies not only on the child’s actual abilities, but also on the dependability of the test and the child’s ability to pay attention and understand the questions.But what causes learning disabilities? No one knows what the causes are right now because there are still too many possibilities. The current leading theory among scientists is that learning disabilities stem from subtle disturbances in the brain structures and functions. Instead of dwelling on the causes, families should realize that there is a problem and move forward in finding ways to get the right help.After diagnosis, the most important thing is to create a plan for getting the right help. The affects of a learning disorder are numerous, so the best help is a combination of educational, medical, emotional, and practical support. Since learning disabilities can have a variety of behavioral patterns, it is important to design the Individual Education Program (IEP) carefully. An Individualized Education Progra...
