Learning disabled children and youth are the products of the interaction of inadequate or
inappropriate physiological, psychological,
educational, and
environmental factors. Events before, during, and after the birth process may place these children at risk for learning
disabilities. Neurological, genetic, metabolic, and other factors may be involved, as well as maturational lag. And problems with sensory, immunological, and dietary system must not be overlooked.
Psychological processes become impaired because physiological bases are unsound. The faulty information processing, memory, and organizational approaches of learning disabled children represent their best efforts to interact with their environment. Hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention are part of a set of behaviors often developed to cope with frustrating situations. Problems are then compounded when a variety of educational demands are added. Existing instructional conditions may be a poor match for deficits in essential learning skills.
In a broader context environmental factors that are unsupportive of these vulnerable children and youth lead many of their problems to their worst conclusions. Poor diet and safety, inadequate sensorimotor opportunities, inappropriate language modeling, and a lack of suitable emotional and social support may mean that the initial liabilities of learning disabled children are compounded into even more severe problems.