A learning disability is typically indicated when a child has difficulty retaining learned information. Children who are not functioning at the same level as their peers, will often question his own abilities and what is wrong and why they are different. A large portion of these children develop behavior problems due to them not being able to retain information at their grade level, like their peers. There are many identifying characteristics of learning and behavioral disabilities that can provide a teacher with a firm grasp of why a child may not be able to learn.
Characteristics like poor academic performance, attention problems, hyperactivity, memory loss, poor language abilities, aggressive and withdrawn behavior. All of these identifying factors are associated with learning disabilities and behavioral problems.
Academic performance refers to the child's understanding of math, spelling, reading, writing, social studies, and all other subjects. Children with a learning disability will display an inability to understand and process information at their grade level. Because of their inability to understand and process information the child's language abilities usually suffer. If they are unable to retain information the child's skills in all subject area's tend to also suffer.
Another factor that is displayed by students who posses a learning disabilities is that they also display behavioral problems. Because of their inability to learn at their level, children will become withdrawn and unhappy. They will have attention problems in the classroom. They may even become aggressive towards other peers or the teacher. These problems stem from a poor self-image of themselves. Children with a learning disability often become an object of taunting and ridicule by his peers. This serves to strengthen poor self-image, attention problems, withdrawn or aggressive behavior. These factors and many other factors need to be taken into consideration when a child is being evaluated for their behavioral problems.