Study Links Learning Disorders to Emotional Vulnerability

A retrospective case–control study published in BMC Psychology reports that children and adolescents with Specific Learning Disorders (SLDs) exhibit significantly higher levels of emotional and behavioural symptoms compared with typically developing peers. The research, led by Giulia Lazzaro and colleagues, investigated a large cohort of 649 youths aged 7 to 17 years, comprising 439 participants with SLDs and 210 controls. The study focused on parent-reported symptoms in youths who did not have major comorbid neuropsychiatric disorders, aiming to address previous limitations in the field such as small sample sizes and inadequate control groups.

The researchers assessed the participants using the Child Behaviour Checklist. The primary objective was to determine whether the presence of SLDs was associated with increased vulnerability to emotional and behavioural difficulties, independent of other psychiatric diagnoses.

The results indicated that youths with SLDs showed significantly higher levels of both externalising and internalising symptoms than the control group. The study also observed higher rates of sluggish cognitive tempo and emotional–behavioural dysregulation among the participants with SLDs.

Among the specific symptom categories, anxiety-related symptoms were the most prevalent in the SLD group, followed by affective and stress-related symptoms. Approximately one-third of participants with SLDs exhibited elevated dysregulation profile scores. Within the SLD group, gender differences emerged for anxiety and stress-related symptoms, whereas educational level showed no significant associations with these outcomes.

The study highlights that children and adolescents with SLDs display a wide range of emotional and behavioural vulnerabilities that extend beyond their academic difficulties, even in the absence of formal psychiatric diagnoses. The authors underscore the importance of early identification and integrated educational supports that target both learning and emotional–behavioural functioning.

Subject of Research: Emotional and behavioural symptoms in children with Specific Learning Disorders

Article Title: Parent-report emotional and behavioural symptoms in children and adolescents with Specific Learning Disorders: a case–control study

Article References: Lazzaro, G., Giumello, F., Varuzza, C., Battisti, A., Gessi, L., Quarin, F., Somma, F., De Rossi, P., Vicari, S., & Menghini, D. (2026). Parent-report emotional and behavioural symptoms in children and adolescents with Specific Learning Disorders: a case–control study. BMC Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05582-3

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05582-3

Keywords: Specific Learning Disorders, Child Psychology, Case-Control Study, Emotional Symptoms, Behavioural Issues, Pediatric Research, BMC Psychology, Parent-report, emotional, behavioural, symptoms, children