What causes language-learning disorders?
Experts in speech-language pathology, psychology, education and medicine have proposed many theories regarding the cause of this broad-based disorder. However, no single cause has yet been identified. It has been documented that this disorder tends to run in families, although no genetic component has been discovered. It is also known that boys are more often affected than girls. Parents often ask whether the following factors could have caused their child’s language- learning disabilities: • Hearing problems – During the first five years of life, many children experience colds, earaches and allergies which may also be accompanied by a conductive hearing loss. (They hear as if they are under water.) Even though the loss is temporary, if it occurs frequently (more than three times per year) or continues for long durations, the child may miss valuable language stimulation at a critical developmental stage. Evidence has shown that children who miss this stimulation may later develop langu
