Allergies and Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities often means deficits in some or all of the following: listening, reading, language processing, thinking, communicating, spelling, organizing information, writing and or mathematical computations and problem solving. It was once thought that learning disabilities were caused by a single neurological problem, however; today, we know that was an over simplification. It is now known that the causes of learning disabilities are much more complex and could be the result of a variety of factors. Some of these factors include: genetic predisposition, alcohol or drug abuse, delivery problems at birth or through the pregnancy and environmental problems. Although, leading theories state that learning disabilities stem from disturbances in brain structures or functions that may begin before birth.

There has been a great deal of interest in exploring connections between learning disabilities and hay fever and allergies, in fact researchers are also exploring the link between air pollution and the effects on the brain. There's a significant amount of evidence to support the fact that many learning disabled students are born to mothers with a history of allergies or deficient immune systems. Allergies affect many parts of the body including the brain. When the allergy affects the brain, it can cause a child to have difficulties concentrating, focusing and attending to task. What can you do?

If you suspect that allergies may be the culprit of a learning disability, have your child checked for allergies, especially if auditory processing is the area of difficulty.

Remember, finding a cause to a learning disability will not resolve the disability. It is very important to provide helpful strategies and interventions which remains your best plan of action. Much can be done to help children and or adults with learning disabilities. The earlier the disability is detected the better your outcomes will be.