Neurotoxicants: Environmental Contributors to Disability in Children

Apart from the budget and service delivery concerns associated with larger caseloads in schools, parents and professionals alike seek explanations for why so many of our children are receiving diagnoses such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or those under the autism spectrum. Recent research reveals that exposures to neurotoxicants such as lead, mercury, and pesticides can have a particularly detrimental impact on brain function and in turn lead to the expression of learning and developmental disabilities, including speech, language, and hearing disorders (Miller & Snow, 2004; Schettler, Stein, Reich, Valenti. & Wallinga, 2000). Partnerships with the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative (LDDI) and its member organizations will afford researchers in the field of communication disorders opportunities to forge into new territory, taking into consideration the possible role of neurotoxicant dose and timing on the nature of hearing loss, language delays, and a host of other communication disorders in children.