644 CHAPTER 14
Unfortunately, learning disorders may cast a long shadow over many areas of life
for many years. People with learning disorders are 50% more likely to drop out of
school than are other people in the general population, and work and social relation-
ships are also more likely to suffer (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). They
are also more likely to suffer from poor self-esteem.
Social factors can lead a child to be incorrectly diagnosed with a learning disor-
der. For example, immigrant children may not have English language skills advanced
enough to allow their reading, writing, or math skills to approach the expected level
of performance. Children who have frequently been absent from school may also
be incorrectly diagnosed with a learning disorder—the problem may simply be that
they missed so much school that they didn’t receive adequate instruction in those
skills. At Javier’s school, when a teacher thinks that a child may have a learning dis-
order, the relevant staff members meet: The teacher, the school learning specialist,
the speech and language therapist, and the school psychologist discuss the teacher’s
concerns and decide what steps should be taken. These next steps may include
observing the child in the classroom, recommending a formal evaluation, and/or
talking with the parents.Understanding Learning Disorders
Like mental retardation and pervasive developmental disorders, learning disorders
arise in large part because of neurological factors. But psychological and social fac-
tors also play a role.Neurological Factors
Among the three types of learning disorders, dyslexia has been studied the most
extensively. Evidence is growing that impaired brain systems underlie this disorder
and that genes contribute to these impaired systems.CASE 14.4 • FROM THE INSIDE: Learning Disorder (Reading)
Nancy Lelewer, author of Something’s Not Right: One Family’s Struggle With Learning
Disabilities (1994), describes what having a learning disorder was like for her:
I began public elementary school in the early 1940s.... Reading was taught exclusively by
a whole-word method dubbed “Look, Say” because of its reliance on recognizing individual
words as whole visual patterns, rather than focusing on letters or letter patterns. In fi rst grade,
I listened to my classmates, and when it was my turn, I read the pictures, not the words, “Oh
Sally! See Spot. Run. Run. Run.” When we were shown fl ash cards and responded in unison to
them, I mouthed something.
Then came our fi rst reading test. The teacher handed each student a sheet of paper, the top
half of which was covered with writing. I looked at it and couldn’t read a word.... The room
grew quiet as the class began to read.
As I stared at the page, total panic gripped me. My insides churned, and I began to per-
spire as I wondered what I was going to do. As it happened, the boy who sat right in front of
me was the most able reader in my class. Within a few minutes, he had completed the test
and had pushed his paper to the front of his desk, which put it in my full view.... [I copied
his answers and] passed the test and was off on a track of living by my wits rather than being
able to read.
The “wits track” is a nerve-wracking one. I worried that the boy would be out sick on the
day we had a reading test. I worried that the teacher might change the location of my desk.
I worried that I would get caught copying another student’s answers. I knew that something
was wrong with me, but I didn’t know what. Why couldn’t I recognize words that my class-
mates read so easily? Because everyone praised me when I did well on tests, I did my best to
hide my inadequate reading skills. (pp. 15–17)Table 14.9 • Learning Disorders
Facts at a GlancePrevalence- Between 2% and 10% of Americans are
estimated to have a learning disorder. - Five percent of public school students in
the United States are diagnosed with a
learning disorder.
Onset- Symptoms of learning disorders do not
usually emerge until early in elementary
school (typically kindergarten through
3rd grade), when the relevant academic
skills are needed. - Children with a high IQ and a reading or
mathematics disorder may not be diag-
nosed until the 4th grade or later. - Symptoms appear rapidly when they
arise from a serious medical problem.
Comorbidity- Common comorbid disorders include
depressive disorders and attention-
defi cit/hyperactivity disorder. - Mathematics disorder and written
expression disorder commonly co-occur
with reading disorder.
Course- With early identifi cation and interven-
tion, a signifi cant number of children
with reading disorder can overcome their
diffi culties.
Gender Differences- Between 60% and 80% of people with
reading disorder are male; however,
males may be more likely to be diagnosed
because of their disruptive behavior,
which calls attention to their diffi culties.
Cultural Differences- In the United States, Hispanic children
are least likely to be diagnosed with
a learning disorder, perhaps because
language barriers make it more diffi cult
to diagnose (National Center for Health
Statistics, 2008).
Source: Unless otherwise noted, the source for
information is American Psychiatric Association, 2000.