Learning Disability
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Children with learning disability, the most common of the psychiatric disorders that appear in childhood, are often the subject of great concern on the part of parents and teachers. It is estimated 5-6 % of school children have learning disability. ADHD sometimes associated with conduct disorder, behaviour problem, emotional instability, and drug abuse.
Learning disability it is not a single problem rather it is combination of multiple problems. Attention deficit, un coordination, poor balance and clumsy, poor friendship, self activity and poor academic performance etc are common problems.
Learning disability may overlap to mental retardation. Generally, a LD child, the intelligence scores in average limits. He can talk properly and sensibly but can perform good in academics. Some signs of learning disabilities present themselves in early childhood which is beneficial because the earlier a problem is recognized, the sooner an intervention can be made, allowing for a better prognosis. Like poor walking, left right confusion in wearing shoes, delay in speech, difficulty in writing and shoe lacing etc
Learning disability could be of different kind like mathematics, writing, reading, motor dyspraxia and poor speech and language coordination.
Various theories for the causes of the Learning Disability have been explained. Theories vary from the brain damage during birth, sensory problem to environmental and family issues. Sometimes, they may be an obvious cause but sometime it is not. Most of the children with learning disability don’t have physical problem so it sometimes take more time to get proper diagnosis and treatment. The problem is problem in different perception and interpretation of codes
As a part of treatment, learning disability response well to multi mode approach including medications, therapy and child and family counselling. Relaxation and physical training is also beneficial.
Apart from the medications it needs a plan therapy if various areas:
- Give lots of visual inputs with enlarged view of objects in various colours and let the child to do in big sizes on the chart papers, on sand or on wall.
- Improve eye hand coordination
- Teach the left and right concept
- Give small, clear and loud commands which are easy to comprehend
- Work on discrimation skills like sorting the objects and phonics and alphabets for younger kids
- Be gentle and patient
- Work on sensory systems and their development (may need a specialist consultation)
- Improve physical movements for better coordination and balance.
- Since the child have poor attention so start working on the objects which child like, initially start the session for short duration and then increase gradually.
- Find the child preference in learning ie auditory, visual or kinaesthetic and work accordingly.
Posted byNeeti at 9:38 PM
Labels: disability
Thankx for sharing this. Very informative.