Do You Know ?
A Learning Disability is not the same as being mentally retarded and it is not being lazy or stupid. Learning Disabilities, as opposed to other disabilities, are invisible, and are therefore considered a hidden handicap. Hence, these difficulties tend to be misunderstood and their impact under-estimated. This is extremely dis-heartening, as it affects a sizeable number of our student population.
80% of the students with LD have trouble reading, 90% will read normally if they receive help by the first grade. 75% of the children who receive help after the age of nine will have some difficulty throughout life. Given proper remediation at the proper time, most of such children can be brought back to the academic mainstream.
What is a Learning Disability (LD)?
You might have heard teachers and parents complaining about a child like these:
"He has the ability, if he just tried harder, he could have done it. He chooses not to do the work"
"If she would just pay attention, she would get it"
"After I give the instructions, he sits there and stares at his paper. He is not motivated"
Children with Learning Disabilities cannot try harder, pay closer attention, or improve motivation on their own; they need help to learn how to do those things. A Learning Disability, or Learning Disorder, is not a problem with intelligence. Learning Disorders are caused by a difference in the brain that affects how information is received, processed, or communicated. Children and adults with Learning Disabilities have trouble processing sensory information because they see, hear, and understand things differently.
Common characteristics
Sloppy writing, poor pencil position, spelling problems, letter reversals, mirror writing, pronunciation problems, reversing or omitting and/or adding letters, words or numbers, erratic word memory, poor reading ability, math problems, distractible, short attention span, forgetful, slow, unfinished homework, poor posture, inability to follow instructions, achievement quite low in some areas-but high in others, impulsive, clumsy, right-left confusion, allergies, poor logic, few or no friends, poor judgment of time, difficulty in telling time, does not like competitive games, poor at copying, socially immature, preservation, low frustration level, over-reacts, difficulty holding eyes on a moving target, destructive / aggressive behavior, cyclical behavior, good days - then bad days, disorganized, hyperactive or hypoactive.
How does it affect a child ?
| Common Types of Learning Disabilities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dyslexia | Difficulty processing language | Problems reading, writing, spelling, speaking |
| Dyscalculia | Difficulty with math | Problems doing math problems, understanding time, using money |
| Dysgraphia | Difficulty with writing | Problems with handwriting, spelling, organizing ideas |
| Dyspraxia (Sensory Integration Disorder) | Difficulty with fine motor skills | Problems with hand-eye coordination, balance, manual dexterity |
| Auditory Processing Disorder | Difficulty hearing differences between sounds | Problems reading, comprehension, language |
| Visual Processing Disorder | Difficulty interpreting visual information | Problems with reading, math, maps, charts, symbols, pictures |
Consequences of LD
There is often a marked discrepancy between achievement and potential, with uneven academic abilities within the same individual.
50-80% of adults with severe literacy problems are impaired by undetected or untreated Learning Disabilities.
35% of students identified with Learning Disabilities drop out of high school.
50% of juvenile delinquents tested are found to have previously undetected Learning Disabilities. When offered remedial services, their recidivism rates drop to below 2%.
It is estimated that up to 60% of adolescents undergoing substance abuse treatment have Learning Disabilities.
Low self esteem is a common and debilitating consequence of Learning Disabilities.
The Prevalence
In India, around 13 to 14 per cent of all school children suffer from Learning Disorders. Unfortunately, most schools fail to lend a sympathetic ear to their problems. As a result, these children are branded as failures. Dyslexia is not a disease, but it is a lifelong problem and presents challenges that need to be overcome everyday. But with proper diagnosis, appropriate education, hard work and support from family, friends, teachers and others, a Dyslexic can lead a successful and productive life.
What causes Learning Disabilities ?
Understandably, one of the first questions parents ask when they learn their child has a Learning Disorder is "Why? What went wrong?". Mental health professionals stress that since no one knows what causes Learning Disabilities, it doesn't help parents to look backward to search for possible reasons. There are too many possibilities to pin down the cause of the disability with certainty. It could be due to errors in foetal brain development, side-effects of tobacco, alcohol or other drug use by the pregnant mother, problems during pregnancy or delivery, toxins in the child's environment, genetic factors etc. It is far more important for the family to move forward in finding ways to get the right help.
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