LEARNING DISABILITY

INTRODUCTION:

Do you know what the great personalities like Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Alexander Gram Bell, Walt Disney had one difficulty in common? It is none other than Learning Disability. All of them had difficulty in learning yet they succeeded in their lives.

WHAT IS LEARNING DISABILITY?


Many parents do not know that their children possess this drawback. LD can be defined as the inability or incapability on the part of the child to understand grasp, or learn, or to read, to memorize or pronounce properly, or to speak however the best efforts a child might put. In developed countries this problem has been recognized and addressed properly. Where as in the developing countries the problem is not addressed, as they are yet to know it as a problem. LD can also be called Dyslexia and also Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).

CAUSES:

The root of the problem can be ascribed in number of ways. A few parents whip up children for failing to pass or failing to score in examination without knowing that the child has the disability to learn. In most of the cases the problem is due to the heredity background or due to genetic factors. Either the maternal or paternal side of the child there might be mental disorders. Or at times it could due to genetic factors. If a woman does not take nutritious food nor had any problem may also result in the birth of the child with this difficulty. If the child meets with any accidents and it may affect him mentally. At times due to external disturbances like noise can become a barrier to poor listening and learning. LD can not be equated with low intelligence. The child has the mental disorder to learn. Because of all these drawbacks, besides improper concentration the child has the inability to understand what the speaker is saying and thus finding it very difficult to paraphrase.

EFFECTS:

The child gradually develops low self-esteem because of poor performance. He gets upset mentally, emotionally, psychologically whenever he is subjected to neglect or humiliation or ridicule, rejection or ostracisation. Whenever the child puts more efforts to learn he may find it stressful to learn thereby loosing interest in the learning process itself. Frequent forgetful is another fall out of this drawback. The child gets demotivated. The future looks very dark for the child and it takes a very long time to pull him out. Precious time gets wasted in the learning process. The student may get beset with constant fear of failure and fear of criticism.

REMEDIES:

It is desirable to identify the problem first. One has to accept that it is a problem that needs to be paid more attention so that it can be addressed accordingly. The parent as well as the teacher should empathize with the child. The child should be treated with concern and care, and needs to be trained tenderly with extra efforts. The technological inventions can be made use of up to the hilt for the same.

While teaching, the teacher makes use of audio and visual effects. In the case of such children, the application of visual aid proves handier and the child can also discover the joy of learning. Such child needs constant appreciation, motivation and pat. By doing so we can check the child getting deviated due to negative pulls and pressures.

Encourage the child by participating in quizzes, brain games like chess sudoku, cross word puzzle etc., as such activities stimulate the mental faculties. Teachers and parents have to play a proactive role so as to overcome the child from LD.

CONCLUSION:

Anne Ford clearly said, “Learning disabilities can not be cured, but they can be treated successfully and children with Learning Disability can go on to live happy, successful lives”.

Keeping Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in view, the corporate should come forward to highlight the issue of LD. In this context, it is relevant to note that Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) sponsored the Mumbai Marathon in 2006 by highlighting this drawback. Individually also, people must come forward to address this problem.

When we can convert negative slogan like physically handicapped into a positive slogan like physically challenged and mentally retarded into mentally challenged then can we not convert a negative slogan like Learning Disability into a better positive slogan? Just think!

MESSAGE:

All human beings have one weakness or the other and no one is free from weaknesses as a whole. What is needed is the ability to convert weaknesses into strengths. Everything is possible in this world. What is needed is the iron will and grit to overcome from difficulties and drawbacks. Great leaders in the world survived and succeeded in spite of suffering from this difficulty. Therefore, turn your scars into stars so that success would touch your toes.