Here is a list of neurologically based conditions that negatively affect a child’s ability to learn. They are not specifically referred to as learning disorders, but these various conditions make learning more difficult and necessitate the need for special education services in most cases.
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Other Conditions Impacting Ability to Learn
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Reading and math are two subjects where accurate perception and understanding of spatial relationships are very important because they both rely heavily on the use of symbols (letters, numbers, punctuation, math signs)
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| Visual Processing Disorder (Affects ability to make sense of information taken in through the eyes and impacts how visual information is interpreted, or processed by the brain) |
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| Auditory Processing Disorder (May cause problems understanding the lessons and directions given in the classroom) |
Causes problems with the ability to analyze or make sense of information taken in through the ears. Problems with speech, language and reading can occur when there is difficulty mastering the following skills:
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| Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 3-5% of children are diagnosed with ADHD. Symptoms manifest prior to age 7 in both home and school settings |
Learning challenges develop because of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity making it difficult to attend to, and process all of the sensory information in the environment. The information transferred into long-term memory is not an accurate representation of the original communication, resulting in problems with comprehension and academic achievement, which directly affects self-esteem | ||
| Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) (Autistic Disorder and Asperger's Disorder) | Impaired development in social interaction and communication and a severely restricted range of interests. To simplify what a PDD is, you can look at the disorders as being on a continuous spectrum. Autism, a more severe disorder which has significant delays in language, can also include mental retardation, is on one end of the spectrum, and Asperger's, which includes higher functioning individuals is on the other end. An individual can fall anywhere on the spectrum between these two extremes and be higher or lower functioning depending on the level of severity of their symptoms | ||
| Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) | SID is a neurological disorder which causes problems in the way sensory input is processed, organized and received creating rapid overloads of sounds, colors, textures, and smells resulting in distraction, distress or confusion. It is often a characteristic of other neurological conditions such as Autism | ||
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