27 Academic Crisis – Slow learners, learning disability, autistic disorder, ADHD

G. Padma Priya

1. INTRODUCTION:

Academic disorders affect how a person understands, remembers and responds to new information. People with academic disorders may have problems like Listening or paying attention, speaking, reading or writing and doing math.

Although academic disorders occur in very young children, they are usually not recognized until the child reaches school. About one-third of children who have academic disabilities also have ADHD, which makes it hard to focus.

Evaluation and testing by a trained professional can help identify the academic disorder. The other source is special education, which involves helping your child in the areas where he or she needs the most help. Sometimes tutors or speech or language therapists also work with the children. Though academic disorders cannot be treated completely but various manipulative techniques and strategies can alleviate the problem. Here we are discussing about the four important academic crisis, are Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), Autistic disorder, Learning disabilities, Slow learners.

2. OBJECTIVES:

To acquire the knowledge of academic disorders like ADHD, slow learners, learning disabilities and autistic disorder.
Create awareness of disability as a social and cultural construct.
To provide opportunities for students to build and practice skills needed to live a successful life.

3. Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD)

Every one of us passed through the pleasant, golden period of our childhood are characterized by restless, fidgety, playful and imagination. In this way hyperactivity, impulsiveness troubled focusing, inattentiveness or distractibility are naturally present in the innocent behavior of our toddlers and young children. These are the age characteristic behaviors which are usually left behind as they further grow in their age. However, it does not happen to some of the children for one or the other reasons and as a result, they are termed as being affected from the Attention deficit hyperactive disorder briefly known as ADHD.

3.1 Definition:

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a medical diagnosis that is applied to children and adults who are experiencing significant behavioral and cognitive difficulties in important aspects of their lives. These difficulties can be attributed to problems of impulse control, hyperactivity and inattention. It is believed that these problems are caused primarily by dysfunctions in the frontal lobes of the brain (Cooper and Bilton, 2002).

3.2 Nature of the ADHD:

It is quite chronic behavior or psychological disorder of childhood that may follow them to their adult years, if not diagnosed and treated properly earlier.
It may cause them experience significant behavioral and cognitive difficulties in their day to day life, schooling and work situations at the different stage of their life.
Parents and teachers cannot be blames for this disorder, because it is not caused by parental or school failure to discipline or control the child.
Although what causes ADHD exactly is not known, yet the researcher believe that it is resulted through some deficiencies or dysfunctions of the brain caused through genetic inheritance or injury to the brain.
Deficiencies like deficits in certain chemicals called neurotransmitters and dysfunctions of certain lobes of the brain bring impairment in the controlling functions of the brain.
Inability in exercising self-control may give birth to three major problems particularly related to inattention, hyperactivity (exhibiting too much acting our behaviors) and impulsivity (acting without thinking), the very hallmarks or symptoms of the ADHD.
Its presence in the children provides a big challenge to the parents and teachers in terms of its control and treatment. If not cared properly, it may cause unimaginable damage not only to the affected child but also may prove a source of danger to the well-being of the society.

3.3 Diagnosis of ADHD:

Diagnosis of ADHD among the children is not a simple task. The children affected with ADHD do not differ significantly from normal children. With ADHD, inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity behaviors occur more vigorously and frequently far above the expectations of their developmental age – causing difficulties in their day to day life activities at home, school or other social situations.

Symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity must be observed quite often in the day to day situations of the child persistently for a longer time atlease 6 months since its inception before the age of 6 or 7. All the children tend to be somewhat inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive in the formative years. However, in case such an inability is observed in the behavior of the grown-ups say 9 or 10 years old, then it is certainly a matter of concern.

3.4 Causes of ADHD

ADHD is usually attributed to following three types of factors,

Neurological factors
Genetic factors
Environmental factor

3.4.1 Neurological factors:

It is found that children with ADHD have organs like pre-frontal and frontal lobes of the cerebrum, basal ganglia and cerebellum are found to be structurally smaller in individuals with ADHD.In addition , these areas of the brain are found to have less activity and blood flow in the ADHD individuals. Has less total gray matter – brain tissue containing nerve cells and blood vessels. The disturbances in the neurotransmitters.

3.4.2 Genetic factors: Genetic factors or hereditary influences are said to be the quite common cause of ADHD. It accounts for the 80 per cent of the children with ADHD.

3.4.3 Environmental factors:

Brain injury and brain disease such as encephalitis. A child may get affected by them at any time during prenatal or postnatal stages including the occasion of delivery.
Complications during pregnancy and birth, such as toxemia.
Fatal exposure to alcohol, smoking, drug abuse or high levels of lead both at pre and post-natal stages.
Poor parenting, disruptive family life, poor schooling and defective management skills.

3.5 Treatment and education of the children with ADHD

The goal of any treatment cum educational strategy for the children with ADHD essentially lies in helping the individual child lead a fulfilling happy life, building upon his strength and talents and compensating for impairments imposed by ADHD. It is therefore very important to realize that ADHD is not something that can be cured, but it can be treated and managed effectively.

The best way of doing so is through a multifaceted approach-a multi-model plan of interventions tailored to the needs of the individual child and family. This typically includes a combination of medical, behavioral, psycho-social and educational interventions implemented as needed at different times in the child/teen’s life. The multifaceted approach as advocated above, may then involve the cooperation of all those who are involved in the care, adjustment and education of the child for achieving the goal, like parents , teachers, medical and health professionals.

Counselling and education of the parents, family members and teachers. Medical therapy.
Adaptation and structuring of the environment. Behavioral therapy.

3.6 Educational provisions for the children with ADHD

The children with ADHD need education for their adequate adjustment and progress in their life. The children with ADHD are generally placed in the integrated mainstream set-up for their schooling along with the non-ADHD children. The children should be encouraged as to provide the children with ADHD better chance for getting along with other children. Competition coupled with more enriched educational experiences. Alternative educational placement for example, special education or private school may be necessary for them. Individual attention and care is the best educational treatment that can be given to the children with ADHD.

4. AUTISTIC DISORDER 4.1 Meaning of Autism

Most of our children naturally to follow a normal course of their development in terms of their speaking, language acquisition and interacting with their peers and family members. However, in some cases, the children instead of playing and socializing with others, isolate themselves in a world of their own, a place characterized by repetitive routines, odd and peculiar behavior, problems in communication and total lack of social and emotional awareness and bonds with others, the children characterized with such defective and improper development are often referred as autism. Majority of the case studies have revealed that children with autism have onset before 30 months of age, normal physical development and good cognitive potential.

4.2 Definition

“Autism is a brain disorder that typically affects a child’s ability to communicate, form relationships with others and respond appropriately to the environment. Some children with autism are relatively high functioning, with speech and intelligence intact. Other are mentally retarded mute, or have serious language delays. For some, autism makes them seem closed off and shut down, there are others who seem locked into repetitive behaviors and rigid pattern of thinking (Advani and Chadha, 2003).

4.3 Characteristics of Autistic children

Newsom (1976) has described six frequently observed characteristics of children with autism.

1.Apparent sensory deficit: we may move directly in front of the child, smile and talk to him, yet he will act as if no one is there.

2.Sever affect isolation: attempts to love and cuddle and show affection to the child encounter a profound lack of interest on the child’s part.

3.Self-stimulation: these children exhibit repetitive stereotyped acts such as rocking their bodies, twirling around, flapping their hands at the wrists or humming.

4.Tantrums and self–mutilatory behavior: the child sometimes bite himself to bleed, he beats his head against wall, b east his face with fists.

5.Echolalic and psychotic speech: these children are mute, i.e, they do not speak or utter only simple sounds, repeat what you speak to them.

6.Behavior deficiencies: an 5 or 10 year old child may behave like a one year old child.

4.4 Causes of Autism

Recent research report and overwhelming evidence suggest that autism is a neurological rather than a psychological disability and also denotes neuropsychiatric disorders. Although many explanations for the social, cognitive and linguistic symptoms of autism have been explored, the exact mechanism by which it operates is still not understood. Yet, the following causes have been speculated.

a) Lack of interaction with cold and unresponsive parents.

b)Biological factors such as those related to pregnancy and birth, genetics, neurology and biochemistry.

Neurochemical imbalance
Pre-postnatal infection
Chromosomal disorders
Auditory impairments
Central nervous system dysfunction

4.5 Intervention programmes for autistic children

Early intervention and diagnosis always work fruitful to the children with autism. The parents should immediately consult the specialist for the early diagnosis of autism in their children and accordingly should take a step for the required early intervention.

Communication intervention in autism
Play therapy for language development
Behavioral approaches for speech/ language/ verbal training
Verbal training in mute-nonverbal children
Speech/ language training in partially verbal/ echolalic children
Developmental, individual difference relationship-based model

4.6 Treatment measure for the autism

Medication and biochemical treatment
Sensory integration treatment
Facilitated communication treatment
Treatment involving modification and structuring of environment
Treatment involving applied behavior analysis

5. LEARNING DISABILITIES

Learning disabled children are those who suffer from serious learning disabilities. These children exhibit exceptionally inferior capacities in terms of learning and understanding in comparison to the normal children of their age or class. In fact, learning disability is nothing but a sort of handicap or helplessness that can be felt by the sufferer in terms of his academic performance in the same way as experienced by a physically handicapped person in terms of his physical functioning or by a mentally handicapped in terms of his mental functioning.

5.1 Definitions

A child with learning disabilities is one with adequate mental ability, sensory processes and emotional stability who has a limited number of specific deficits in perceptual, integrative or expressive processes which severely impair leaning efficiency. This includes children who have central nervous system dysfunctions which is expressed primarily in impaired learning efficiency (Telford and Sawrey, 1977).

5.2 Characteristics of learning disabled

Their problems and disorders are usually manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of language (listening, speaking, reading, writing, etc.), reasoning or mathematical ability or of social skills.
They may exhibit symptoms of hyperactivity (high rate of purposeless movements) and attention deficit (inability to attend to a task). The term currently used to describe this combination of behavioural traits is attention hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
They may be found to demonstrate the symptoms of impulsivity.
They demonstrate the symptoms of perceptual motor deficits in the shape of poor and erratic performance in writing, drawing, copying geometrical figures and handling instrument and appliances.
Most of them suffer from emotional problems and demonstrate signs of anxiety, moodiness or ups and downs in their behavior.
Their learning disability is not apparent in the physical appearance or not demonstrates through their IQ scores. They may have robust body, good vision, sound ears, and normal intelligence.
They may exhibit disorders of memory, thinking, attention, general coordination, perception and motor functioning, etc.
They are handicapped in learning and acquisition in the same way as physically handicapped.
Lack of motivation, inattention, inability to generalize, lack of adequate ability in problem solving, information processing and thinking skills.

5.3 Causes of learning disabilities

1. Genetic or heredity factors

2. Organic or physiological factors

3. Environmental factors

5.4 Genetic or heredity factors

Learning disabled are transmitted from generation to generation
Reading disabilities and speech and language disorders in monozygotic twins (twins from the same egg) than in dizygotic twins (twins from tow different eggs).
There is growing evidence that heredity may account for at least some family linkage with dyslexia.
Genes connected to chromosomes 6 and chromosomes 15 are said to play a role in the hereditary transmission of reading disabilities.

5.5 Organic or physiological factors

Learning disabled children suffer from neurological dysfunction, malfunctioning or dysfunction of their central nervous system consisting of brain, spinal cord and message carrying nerves, etc.

Brain damage caused by an accident or by a lack of oxygen before, during or after birth. Artificial colourings and flavourings in many of the food items consumed by the children may cause hyperactivity, impulsivity, emotional imbalance, etc. leading to malfunctioning of the central nervous system.

Vitamin deficiency may cause inability of a child’s blood stream to synthesize a normal amounts of vitamins essential fornormal functioning of the central nervous system.

5.6 Remedial measures for learning disabilities

Using manipulative exercise to strengthen muscles.
Helping them learn a proper position and form for writing.
Sufficient practice can be provided through manipulative activities as well as through individualized assistance.
Spelling problems: start framing a list of words usually misspelt by a child and make the child learn the correct spelling.
Reading problem: should be provided with model reading or a recording device may be used for this purpose.
Use of stories, narration of personal experiences, oral discussions, use of necessary multimedia facilities, etc, prove useful in overcoming such deficiencies.
Teach language in a purposeful context and use conversation to promote language development.
Use self-talk and parallel-talk to describe what you an others are doing and thinking.

6. SLOW LEARNERS

In our classroom and also as a whole in our school set-up, we strongly hold to a system that yields a one-size-fits-all type model for the education of all children irrespective of their individual differences widely observable in terms of their rate of leaning educational achievements. The usual classroom teaching mostly designed for the normal or averages. They always lag behind in terms of catching the usual pace of the class study and consequently suffer in terms of their educational progress and academic achievements. They are often seen to suffer from educational failure by playing truancy, repeating the grade/class or leaving the school education in between as a dropout. Characterized with their lower rate of learning and educationally backward children.

6.1 Definition

Slow learners are “the disabled, but who struggle to classroom”. (Caroll, 1998) students with bellow average cognitive abilities who are not cope with the traditional academic demands of the regular

6.2 Characteristics of Slow learners

On the basis of the research studies conducted in the recent years certain general characteristics of the slow learners are listed below.

1. Physical characteristics:

Slow sensory motor development: They take time to make progress such as walking, self-feeding and language development.
More reaction time: They take more time to respond to stimulus like visual, auditory.
Defect in vision hearing and speech: They find it difficult to discriminate between color and size.

2. Intellectual characters:

Low memory, Lack of concentration, Poor attention span, Fail to retain what they have learned, Poor ability in the formation of concept and general ideas, Unable to plan and work on their own and Poor in creativity, critical thinking, low intelligent quotient, lack of abstract thinking and reasoning ability.

3. Education characters

Poor language ability like reading, writing and spelling skills.
Have negative attitude toward learning.
They have low academic achievement.

4.Social and moral characters

Lack of stamina to sit in class for a long time.
Fail to make friends and not at all sociable.
Afraid and self-conscious.
Day dream and make good adjustment in non-acdemica pursuit.

6.3 Causes of slow learners

Physiological factors: physical retardation, poor health, lack of vitality and victims of poor environment and thus suffer from physical ailments, chronic diseases and bodily defects.
Intellectual factors: some children are born with some inherent defects in their brain system or with some intellectual sub-normality.
Economic condition: the economic status of the family also plays a major role in child’s learning. The family which is economically fit will provide better opportunities for their children than that of a poor family.
Environmental causes: children who lack sufficient environmental stimulation usually fail to develop at normal rate.
School influence: poor school condition like, Ineffective method of teaching, Lack of efficient and qualified teachers, bad examination and evaluation system, Improper curriculum and Improper classroom climate.
Influence of neighborhood and other social agencies: The members of the society he come s in contact with, the press, radio, cinema, clubs, religious and social places that he visits, all contribute to the problem of educational sub-normality.

6.4 Treatment and educational measures of slow learners

Regular medical checkup and necessary treatment.
Readjustments at home and school.
Provision for special school for segregated set up with special coaching and individual attentions.
Provision for special curriculum, methods of teaching and special teacher.
Provision for cocurricular activities, rich experiences and diversified courses.
Controlling negative environmental factors.
Taking the help of experienced educational psychologist.

CONCLUSION:

In this way proper efforts can be made for the desired care, treatment and progress of the children with academic disorders through a collaborated approach involving effective medication, behavioral and educational intervention. The overall attitude of the people in the world regarding academic disorders needs a big change. The lack of awareness and proper diagnosis of academic disorders has made quiet number of countries and people at this stage too away from the attempts of fighting with this dreadful disorder. There is a real need of awakening of our masses including the government agencies for taking due recognition of the academic disorders in the children and have all the possible diagnostic and treatment measures for its prevention and treatment.

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Web links

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/learning-disabilities-and-disorders.htm
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/specific-learning-disorder/what-is-specific-learning-disorder
http://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=learning-disorders-90-P02568