Smart kids with learning disabilities – Dr. Kajal Verma

A learning disability is a neurological disorder. it is a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities – for example household tasks, socialising or managing money – which affects someone for their whole life.A learning disability is a neurological disorder. A learning disability is a reduced

intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities – for example household tasks, socialising or managing money – which affects someone for their whole life.In simple terms, a learning disability results from a difference in the way a person’s brain is “wired.” Children with learning disabilities are as smart or smarter than their peers. But they may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling and/or organizing information if left to figure things out by themselves or if taught in conventional way.With the right support and intervention, however, children with learning disabilities can succeed in school and go on to successful, often distinguished careers later in life.Parents can help children with learning disabilities achieve such success by encouraging their strengths, knowing their weaknesses, understanding the educational system, working with professionals and learning about strategies for dealing with specific difficulties.
 

Common types of learning disabilities 
 Dyslexia – Difficulty with reading
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
 Dysphasia /Aphasia – Difficulty with language
Problems understanding spoken language, poor reading comprehension
 Auditory Processing Disorder – Difficulty hearing differences between sounds
Problems with reaiding, comprehension, language
 Visual Processing Disorder – Difficulty interpreting visual information
Problems with reading, math, maps, charts, symbols, pictures

 What Causes Them? 
No one’s exactly sure what causes learning disabilities. But researchers do have some theories as to why they develop, including:

Genetic influences. Experts have noticed that learning disabilities tend to run in families and they think that heredity could play a role. However, researchers are still debating whether learning disabilities are, in fact, genetic, or if they show up in families because kids learn and model what their parents do.

Brain development. Some experts think that learning disabilities can be traced to brain development, both before and after birth. For this reason, problems such as low birth weight, lack of oxygen, or premature birth may have something to do with learning disabilities. Young children who receive head injuries may also be at risk of developing learning disabilities.

Environmental impacts. Infants and young kids are susceptible to environmental toxins (poisons). For example, you may have heard how lead (which can be found in some old homes in the form of lead paint or lead water pipes) is sometimes thought to contribute to learning disabilities. Poor nutrition early in life also may lead to learning disabilities later in life.

 Signs and symptoms of learning disabilities:

* Preschool age* 

Problems pronouncing wordsTrouble finding the right wordDifficulty rhymingTrouble learning the alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes, days of the weekDifficulty following directions or learning routinesDifficulty controlling crayons, pencils, and scissors, or coloring within the linesTrouble with buttons, zippers, snaps, learning to tie shoes

 *Ages 5-9 *
Trouble learning the connection between letters and soundsUnable to blend sounds to make wordsConfuses basic words when readingSlow to learn new skillsConsistently misspells words and makes frequent errorsTrouble learning basic math conceptsDifficulty telling time and remembering sequences
 

*Ages 10-13 *
Difficulty with reading comprehension or math skillsTrouble with open-ended test questions and word problemsDislikes reading and writing; avoids reading aloudPoor handwritingPoor organizational skills (bedroom, homework, desk is messy and disorganized)Trouble following classroom discussions and expressing thoughts aloudSpells the same word differently in a single document

Homoeopathic approach 
Homoeopathic intervention when combined with standard remedial education has a definite role in bringing about an early change in all parameters of LD. It also assists in bringing about a change in treating the co-morbid conditions, commonly Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD). The beauty of homeopathy is that all of these concerns will be addressed at the same time by a single homeopathic medicine. Within weeks or a couple of months of finding the right homeopathic medicine, you will notice concrete changes in your child such as the following:

*Grades should improve significantly.

*Your child will report more ease and less frustration with learning. *He/She will no longer feel that school and homework are a struggle.

*The teacher(s) will notice a distinct change in your child’s learning skills.

*Behavior, often exacerbated by a child’s frustration with learning, will improve markedly.

*Handwriting typically becomes more legible;

*Children often spontaneously begin to enjoy reading and other subjects that were previously drudgery.

*Friendships often blossom as a child develops more confidence and self-assuredness.

*Maturity can increase much more rapidly than before.Commonly selected remedies are,BarytaCalcareasArg. Nitricum MedorrhinumLycopodium

Points for parents to follow

Take the time to listen to your children .

• Love them by touching them, hugging them, tickling them, wrestling with them

• Look for and encourage their strengths, interests, and abilities.

• Don’t hesitate to consult with teachers or other specialists whenever you feel it to be necessary in order to better understand what might be done to help your child learn.

• Reward them with praise, good words, smiles, and pat on the back as often as you can.Accept them for what they are and for their human potential• Be realistic in your expectations and demands.

• Read enjoyable stories to them and with them. Encourage them to ask questions, discuss stories, tell the story, and to reread stories.• Further their ability to concentrate by reducing distractions.

• Don’t get hung up on traditional school grades

•Take them to libraries and encourage them to select and check out books of interest.

• Help them to develop self-esteem and to compete with self rather than with others.

• Insist that they cooperate socially by playing, helping, and serving others in the family and the community.

• Serve as a model to them by reading and discussing material of personal interest.

• Involve them in establishing rules and regulations, schedules, and family activities.

• Tell them when they misbehave and explain how you feel about their behavior

• Help them to correct their errors and mistakes by showing or demonstrating

• Don’t nag!• Give them regular family work responsibility whenever possible.

• Provide toys, games, motor activities and opportunities that will stimulate them in their development.

• Homeopathy has very good medicines which can give nice results.