Expected Causes & Etiology

Although researchers have not found any definitive causes for specific learning disabilities, several agree on the following risk factors: having a parent with a learning disability, individual differences in brain formation and functioning, problems during pregnancy and/or delivery, and environmental influences. Factors impacting a developing fetus include drug or alcohol abuse, poor health and nutrition, and exposure to lead. The familial environment may also play a contributing role if young children lack the necessary stimulation for social and intellectual development (NICHD, 2018). Additional causes include issues with vision or hearing.

Researchers continue to investigate the causes of specific learning disabilities. One theory with which several researchers concur is that the cause of learning disabilities stems from brain disturbances or alterations in the brain’s functioning and wiring. Researchers have examined brain imaging scans of people with and without dyslexia to compare how the brain reacts. These brain scans focus on the area of the brain used while reading. The scans show that in good readers (e.g., people who can sound out words), their neural pathways immediately “light” up. In contrast, the scans of people who cannot sound out words show less blood flow to the area of the brain used while reading. The brain function is also a factor in the etiology of dysgraphia. The ability to write involves many areas of the brain, and dysgraphia seems to be linked to family genetics and brain development. (Understood, 2023). Causes of specific learning disabilities continue to be researched and investigated. Brain development and genetics both appear to play a contributing role. An additional consideration is a lack of access to reading and writing materials during the child’s upbringing.

It is important to note that no two learning disabilities are the same. The challenges and differences that children experience are as individual as the students themselves. The National Center for Learning Disabilities statistics show that 1 in 5 children in the United States have learning and attention issues. The statistics also show that 1 in 16 public school students have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for a Specific Learning Disability. These are the statistics for students who have been identified. Although Child Find requires school districts to look for, find, and evaluate students, many children with learning issues are not identified.