While it is true that some people know that their disability was caused by a genetic condition, environmental condition, or their mother's use of alcohol while pregnant, the majority of people with a disability do not know the cause for theirs. However, researchers are currently working on, and making substantial progress with, identifying the environmental and genetic conditions that increase the likelihood of a child having a disability. Nevertheless, there is still a much greater understanding about the factors of disabilities and how to best aid individuals in overcoming, or successfully dealing with, their particular disability. In many ways, this is most likely due to the fact that the characteristics of disabilities are always present whereas to figure out their causes once the people are identified, we are required to go back into the past to analyze and evaluate the particular conditions that were occurring.
References:
Hallahan, D., Kauffman, J., & Pullen, P. (2013). Exceptionality and Special Education. In Exceptional Learners: An Introduction to Special Education (Thirteenth ed., pp. 3-18). Pearson.
Reading Help For Kids. (2012). Retrieved October 31, 2015, from http://laurasplace.com.au/services/help-for-kids/reading-help-for-kids/