Neurological Evaluation of Children with Learning Disorders

A CLINICAL POINT OF VIEW, the term learning disorder means that there is good evidence that a child's learning performance at school is not commensurate with his intellectual abilities. Children with such problems are being brought to to physicians in increasing numbers for assistance in the identification of factors contributing to poor classroom performance. Parents and teachers ex- pect the physician to be able to help them unravel the difficult issues of distinguishing between neuro- logical handicaps, behavioral disturbances and faulty educational procedures as causes for school learning problems. These distinctions are often difficult, for all three of these factors are com- monly found to have contributed to an educational problem. The physician who accepts the role of neurological consultant should regard a learning disorder as a symptom, the cause of which is his responsibility to elaborate to the fullest possible extent.