Learning Disabilities in Children
Esther H. Wender MD1
1 Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Director, Behavioral Pediatrics Program, University of Utah College of Medicine, Salt Lake City
Of the many factors that may combine to produce school problems, learning disabilities constitute the most prevalent underlying cause. This article is devoted to a better understanding of this complex disorder. Following a brief discussion of diagnosis, etiology, and prevalence, the focus will be on controversies surrounding therapy arising from recent outcome studies and the attention given to dietary treatment. Objectives of this report include reviewing the evidence that suggests limitations of medication as the only treatment for this disorder, some of the possible harmful effects of medication, and the efficacy of diet as a mode of therapy. The discussion will also acquaint the clinician with major aims of therapy and suggest multiple approaches to treatment.
DEFINITION AND TERMINOLOGY
Learning disabilities can be broadly defined as a cluster of biologically based disturbances in development that significantly impair school performance. These developmental problems fall into two broad categories that differ in the kind of symptoms that predominate, the manner in which school performance is affected, the regions of the central nervous system most likely involved, and the types of therapy needed. The first category affects primarily the acquisition of specific academic skills (such as reading individual words, spelling, handwriting, and mathematic computation) information remains intact.
