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Hurdles in learning

Written By Unknown on August 15, 2013 | 8/15/2013

Anjana Thadhani analyses the kinds and causes of learning and behavioral problems in children and proposes some ways to detect, remedy and handle such issues.
Parenting amidst today’s scenario is definitely challenging. The dilemmas for the parents are numerous. There is a constant buzzing of questions. Is my child hyperactive or just overactive? Is he learning enough at school? Will he be able to stand peer pressure? Is the anger in my child normal?  Where do they look up for the solutions - Internet? Friends? Family doctor? Teacher?

Problems like hyperactivity and aggression in children are on rise and are not uncommon.  Behavioral problems sometimes could be a purely attention seeking. If left unchecked the child may use aggression or tantrums for material gains or attention constantly. Parenting and environment at home plays a major role in most of the cases.

Research indicates that increase in aggression on television, electronic media, and computer games could be a cause for the same. The change in the social structure with nuclear families and often a single child leaves the child incapable of finding an appropriate emotional outlet. Aggression and arguments at home show them the path of intolerance and distorted assertiveness.

When do we take a particular inappropriate behavior seriously? 

In most of the cases, it could be a transient phase. However, the measures to curb the behavior need to be taken instantaneously. It is important to consult your doctor or take the help of a professional counselor. Such behaviors are easy to handle and can be dealt effectively with parental counseling and simple behavior modification techniques at home.

But the key is to start early so that the behavior does not become a part of attitude and personality for the child which is much more difficult to correct.

Some common yet serious conditions like ADHD or Autism require special consideration with reference to hyperactive and aggressive children.

n Hyperactivity: Hyperactivity or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder.  There is much discussion about ADHD and also some common misconceptions. ADHD is a neuro-behavioral condition and is seen in 7-8% of school going children and about 60-80% of children may continue to have features of ADHD even in adolescence and early childhood as per American Academy of Pediatrics.

Indian studies also show similar prevalence of 8-10% of ADHD in school going children.  The children may be inattentive or hyperactive or a combination of these symptoms found in them. Most of these children with hyperactivity require help or medication during the initial years but usually settle by early adulthood. Diet modification in the form of reduction in chocolates, junk food helps.

Medications are safe, effective and are easily available but require proper evaluation and prescription.

n Autism: Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neuro-developmental condition seen in children. Initially thought to be a disorder of the west with a prevalence rate of two percent, it is now diagnosed quite commonly in Indian children also. Most of the children with this condition may appear hyperactive or weird or aloof.

The manner in which these children behave is quite different and represent a spectrum of symptoms from mild ones, which are considered as shy to the real aggressive ones. The younger children with autism usually will have speech delay along with hyperactivity while older children lag behind in studies at an early stage because of inability to follow classroom instructions.

Parents may notice soft subtle signs of autism like poor eye contact and that these children are happy alone and have difficulty while playing and interacting with other children. They also may have some motor movements like hand flapping and rocking, which are repeated over and over again.

They have difficulty in learning new skills and understanding instructions. However, children with milder problems do well with support and conventional therapies but severe cases may be difficult to manage and require medications. It is important for parents not to ignore a typical behavior in the child.

Early detection of this condition with proper treatment can go a long way in normalizing the behavior. Closing your eyes is not going to take the problem away but the child looses on the benefits of early treatment.

n Poor performance: Another stressor for the parents is poor performance at school. With the implementation of Right to Education Act, we do not see failures and promotion for children is on auto pilot mode till 8th standard. Awareness about this Act has made life simple and stress-free for students, teachers and parents.

How do we know if the children are learning? Or else we are merely postponing our problems. 

n Standard of living: Another factor for low motivation in children is high standard of living and unnecessary clutter of expensive things around them. Most of the youngsters have no drive to work hard today as all their material needs are fulfilled so early in life. Even if we negate the above mentioned issues, some may still struggle to cope up academically. We still need to understand learning disorders and rule out the possibility in cases of persistent difficulties in learning as seen in early years.  

n Learning disabilities: Dyslexia or Learning Disability is a well-established neuro-developmental disorder related to information processing. It is known to run in families and a genetic basis has been suspected as one of the causes along with any minor insult to the growing brain during pregnancy, birth or even later in life. This disorder hampers formal learning and leads to excessive stress on the child and the parent.

Most of the children have difficulty in learning to read and write. They have spelling mistakes and errors in grammar and punctuation. Their handwriting is untidy and at times illegible.  Simple mathematical problems may take a long time and constant repetitions.  However, these children have normal intelligence and have normal behavior that it is difficult for parents and teachers to understand their inability to learn.

It is very important for the child to undergo proper evaluation before we start penalizing the child.  Some children may have mild problems with vision and hearing which may interfere with learning and therefore it is worthwhile to check these in all the children of learning concerns. A formal test for checking his/her intelligence and level of educational achievement would help to understand the weaker area.
The intervention consists of counseling, remedial education and support at school. Educational boards also provide certain concessions for these children in the form of extra time, reader, writer and use of calculator. 

A child with learning problems needs to be understood so that appropriate help and support can be extended to him. Most of these children do very well if timely intervention is provided.

(The writer is a consultant developmental pediatrician.)

Source: http://tinyurl.com/m43ldho
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