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.

The Need

Technically, as laid out in the Government policies of Inclusive Education, general schools should be equipped to meet the special needs of these children. But due to practical constraints, many times, it doesn't work out that way, resulting in these children being marginalized from the mainstream, affecting not only their academic performance, but also their self-esteem.


What is hope for a cure ?

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. LD is a lifelong disorder that affects people's ability to either interpret what they see and hear or to link information from different parts of the brain . As it is a "condition" and not a "disease", an absolute "cure" cannot be promised, as we can say it is the individual's style of learning.

But science has made great strides in understanding the inner workings of the brain, and one important discovery that brings new hope for Learning Disabilities and disorders is called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s natural, lifelong ability to change / to form new connections and generate new brain cells in response to experience and learning. This knowledge has led to ground-breaking new treatments for Learning Disabilities that harness the power of neuroplasticity to retrain the brain.

Early identification and intervention provides the child the comfort that it is not to be blamed. In addition, parents also recognize that the child’s problem is a neurological entity that is neither their fault, nor the child's fault. It helps counter guilt and complaints that the child is being lazy or careless. It thereby reduces the stress faced by the family. Such identification and remediation has to be taken up by a team of trained professionals who will assess the extent of the child's problem and accordingly devise a remediation strategy to be implemented to bring the child back to the mainstream.


Professionals who help those with LD

  • Clinical Psychologist.
  • Psychiatrist (for dealing with co-morbid disorders).
  • Educational Psychologist.
  • Special Educators.
  • Occupational therapist (tests sensory disorders that can lead to learning problems).
  • Speech and language therapist.
  • Social Workers.

Sometimes several professionals coordinate services as a team to obtain an accurate diagnosis, including input from your child’s teachers. Recommendations can then be made for special education services or speech–language therapy as the need be.