Those who have the disability are most affected in the following areas:

Speaking

Depending on the type of learning disability, including dyslexia, different kinds of assistance are available. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), those with learning disabilites are protected against discrimination and have a right to assistance in the classroom, if a student, and the workplace.

The cause of the disability is still specifically unknown, even though there are factors that are associated with it. Hereditary factors have been observed. It’s not uncommon to find that people with learning disabilities have parents or relatives with similar difficulties. It is also believed that the disorder is caused by illness or injury during or before birth. It may even be caused by the parent’s use of drugs and alcohol during pregnancy, low birth weight, a temporary lack of oxygen during birth and even a premature or prolonged labor. It’s also believed that head injuries, deprivation of nutrients or exposure to toxic substances contribute to the disability. Science will eventually determine the specifics but as of now there is not one single factor that is obviously the cause.

Behavioral Therapy & Brain - Click for Larger Image

Behavior therapy is a form of psychotherapy used to treat depression, phobias, anxiety disorders and other forms of psychopathology. The therapy is important for individuals with disabilities, specially developmentally disabled children, as it will help break unwanted behaviors that exist as a result of their physical and mental condition. 

Behavior therapy is based upon the behavior modification principles of classical conditioning. Behavior modification is used as treatment in most cases. It is the use of empirically demonstrated behavior change techniques to improve or change behavior, such as altering an individuals’ behaviors and reactions through positive and negative reinforcement of adaptive behavior and/or the reduction of maladaptive behavior.

Social skills training is also an important part of the therapy. It teaches patients skills to access reinforcers and lessen the unacceptable behaviors. Operant conditioning procedures in meta-analysis had the largest effect size for training social skills, followed by modeling, coaching, and social cognitive techniques, in that order.

Autism and the Brain

Autism is thought to be the result of genetics. The genetics of autism are complex and it is unclear whether autism is the result of  multi-gene interactions or by genetic mutation. Autism is also at times associated with agents that cause birth defects. Other probable causes include childhood vaccines, the use of drugs and chemicals by the mother and/or father prior to childbirth, or environmental agents, though there has not been any convincing scientific evidence of these relationships.

About one out of 150 people are autistic, with about four times as many males than females. The amount of people with autism has increased dramatically due to changes in the diagnostics, and the push for early diagnosis in order to assist those with disabilities.

Autism affects many parts of the brain and signs of the disorder are usually visible in the child’s first two years. There is no known cure but early behavioral and cognitive intervention can help children gain self-care, social and communication skills. While the disability community strives for as much independent living as possible for those that are Autistic, many with Autism will always require assistance from others and may never reach full independence. Even though it is a disability, many manage to live independently and some have become successful in the world of business.

Autism Symptoms

The chart on the left shows the signs of autism. Click on the image for a large version. These autistic behaviors will give the parent notice that the child needs to be properly tested and diagnosed. Autism is not distinguished by a single symptom, but by multiple symptoms. Autism’s individual symptoms occur in the general population, so detecting the symptoms requires medical intervention. A full positive diagnosis  must include exhibiting at least six symptoms total, including at least two symptoms of qualitative impairment in social interaction, one symptom of qualitative impairment in communication and one symptom of restricted and repetitive behavior. Remember that an early diagnos is is important.