With official statistics indicating that between 15 and 20 percent of children suffer from learning disabilities, much ignorance prevails about detection, the pschological problems and corrective measures.
A learning disability is no longer seen as a fait accompli. In fact, it’s become an opportunity to journey towards new horizons of self-discovery for not only learners and parents, but educators and professionals alike.
The official figure of between 15 and 20 percent of learners experiencing barriers to learning could in fact be higher, according to Steve Rees, principal of Japari School – a remedial institution – in Gauteng. “Taking into account the political inequality of the past education environment, this figure may rise to 40 percent,” he said.
And the experts agree, the earlier a child receives learning support, the better for him/her in later life.
There are three types of learning disabilities:
- General learning disabled – showing a lack of insight
- Specific learning disabled – such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and visual perception problems
- Learning difficulties because of emotional trauma
Cape Town-based psychologist Bernhardt Crous specialises in children with learning barriers. He explained that the current mainstreaming policy in education could be detrimental to those with learning difficulties. “The problem is that gifted, average and slow learners all might be grouped together, possibly without providing support for learning disabled children.”
If a child is experiencing learning problems, he/she should be professionally evaluated. After the diagnosis, an appropriate treatment plan should be devised with subsequent re-evaluation.
When a child is diagnosed with a learning problem, the parents, school and therapist should co-operate to ensure that all are working towards preparing that child for eventual entry into adult life.
Crous continued, “Children with barriers to learning mustn’t simply be pushed towards a matric qualification when in fact they might be better off with alternative education or training towards a technical qualification.”
As in the health industry, private practitioners often offer the quickest route to answers for parents regarding their child’s problem and hence learning needs. Crous advised parents to ensure that professionals were experienced in dealing with learning problems, insist on reports after evaluation, as well as liaison between teacher, occupational therapist and other interested parties.
Telling signs
Early detection of a learning disability is vital in ensuring that the problem is treated with corrective strategies as soon as possible. The alternative is years of misery and ridicule in the classroom.
Parents should look out for the reversal of numbers or letters, such as ‘b’ and ‘d’ confusion, or ‘3’ being written in mirror image.
Another sure sign is when a child has difficulty blending sounds. For example, he/she can read ‘c-at’, but can’t combine the two to read ‘cat’.
Poor listening skills or concentration problems can be identified when a child hears only part of what you say, or forgets half an instruction. For instance, if you instruct the youngster to turn off the tap in the kitchen and feed the dog, he’ll feed the dog, but forget to turn off the tap.
A scatter-brained child also continually would return from school minus a jersey, book or pen. Parents resort to labelling everything so that the items are returned. However, Crous warned that without the necessary diagnosis and treatment, the child wouldn’t learn to start taking responsibility for losing his/her belongings.
Children who have difficulty in reading social situations often are in conflict with family members. A good example is the case of two sisters entering the kitchen where mother is cooking. The one will see that mother is busy and can’t come to watch the volleyball game, while the other will insist on mother coming to watch.
Age-appropriate language processing problems are manifested when a child knows what he/she wants to say, but can’t express the words, often resorting to gesturing or sounds. Another instance is when a child relates an incident factually correct, but so jumbled that the statement doesn’t make sense.
Emotional and psychological consequences
Crous warned, “When a learning disabled child is compelled to go through mainstream school life without the necessary counselling and remedial action, he/she ends up with major self-esteem problems. Such a child often is mocked and ridiculed. He or she then feels inadequate and/or stupid.
“This in turn leads to behaviour problems: a child who pulls faces and acts silly to avoid reading aloud. Or a youngster who argues, fights and cries for no apparent reason, out of sheer frustration.”
The bad practice of labelling
Shirley Kokot, professor of educational psychology at UNISA, maintained that many children ‘diagnosed’ with a learning disability were not disabled at all. “Educators and professionals alike tend to label a child too quickly,” she said.
“My approach is to determine what a child is manifesting in terms of behavioural disability and understand the underlying cause(s) of the symptoms. A learning disability is not irreparable.
“For instance, with dyspraxia, which is when a child has a poor sense of body and space, the cause could be as simple as an inner ear infection. In genuine cases of dyspraxia, I use a programme that stimulates the senses and rehabilitates sensory function.”
Alarmed that so many schools advocate medication to ‘fix’ children with learning barriers, Kokot follows a drug-free approach. This entails a back-to-basics diet of fresh fruit, steamed vegetables, sufficient protein and carbs, limited frying and controlled sugar intake. Certainly not sugar on top of sugar, such as bread with jam or cereal with sugar.
She emphasised that one approach didn’t work for everyone. In the case of a grade 5 boy who couldn’t read, teachers pronounced that he had no phonetic awareness. However, after an hour’s assessment, she determined that the boy was a visual spatial learner. Using an ecosystemic approach, Kokot helped him to associate visual concepts with words such as ‘the’, ‘an’ ‘and’, ‘etcetera’.
Often these visual children become great inventors – just think of others with this condition: Einstein, Edison and Van Gogh.
Kokot stated, “We’re continually looking at possible solutions to the causes of learning disabilities, not the symptoms. And I can’t stress enough that children shouldn’t be labelled too quickly, because then you see and treat the label, not the person.”
Integrating the eyes, ears, body and brain
Occupational and BodyTalk therapist Sharon Gelber subscribes to Kokot’s views. Often, what may appear to be a learning disability, might be caused or exacerbated by too much TV, not enough exercise, poor diet, stress at home, or lack of parental attention.
She treats many cases of children with learning difficulties, often with associated low muscle tone, concentration problems, poor coordination, emotional distress or sensory integration difficulties. Other cases include children who have difficulty in making sense of their sensory environment. It can take the form of hyper-responsiveness, such as hating dirt, finding outdoor play distressing or seeing queuing as threatening. Auditory defensiveness is particularly challenging in the classroom when they can’t filter out background noises from their teacher’s voice or under-responsiveness where they require excessive stimulation.
Using a combination of kinesiology, Brain Gym, BodyTalk and occupational therapy, she tries to reach the root of the presenting symptoms. Her approach is to activate and integrate the eyes, ears, body and brain. “BodyTalk is especially effective in addressing the emotional issues associated with stress and learning difficulties,” Gelber said.
Of significance is her belief that stressed parents also need assistance in stress management. The more stressed parents are, the more stressed the children will be.
ADHD on the rise
On average, about 10 percent of the primary school population suffers from ADHD, according to Johannesburg-based educational psychologist Dr Jacques van Zyl. The increase in numbers of children affected by the condition has increased because, among other factors, the diagnosis is more scientific today.
A good diagnosis should start with an educational psychologist, Van Zyl stated. “Often, a child exhibiting hyperactivity symptoms acts in this way because of problems at home. Therefore, one needs a multi-factoral diagnosis. The next step should be referral to a medical practitioner, preferably a paediatrician. Again, an important action, because a child exhibiting ADD symptoms might be diagnosed with excessive wax in the ear that may cause hearing difficulties, resulting in ‘observed’ ADD symptomology.”
Between 10 to 15 percent of ADHD cases are misdiagnosed both here and world-wide.
If well-prescribed, ie based on scientific diagnosis and prescription practice, medication could be of benefit, according to Van Zyl. “My concern is with the medical fraternity – those doctors who don’t assess children regularly to determine when to terminate medication.”
Van Zyl is now in the process of rolling out software to doctors to assist with ADHD diagnosis using the DSM IV® criteria with a strict code of retesting children at specific intervals.
A community approach
The South African Association for Learning and Educational Difficulties (SAALED) was founded 30 years ago as a non-profit association of parents and professionals. Over the years, the organisation has played an important advocacy role for learners with special educational needs.
President Sally Mayhew said SAALED provided access on local and national resources, gave support to parents, caregivers and professionals and offered numerous expert workshops.
“There’s a wealth of on-going research into learning disabilities and remedial teaching techniques. Parents, educators and professionals all need to keep abreast of these developments for the sake of the learning impaired children.”
As is the case every second year, SAALED again will be hosting an international conference – Reading for all – in September on practice and research in multi-cultural, multi-lingual and inclusive contexts.
A parent taking the bull by the horns
Having been told by a teacher that her seven-year-old son wouldn’t be able to learn without taking medication, Ansonette van der Merwe started researching learning disabilities. “It’s a huge burden for a parent to be told that your child has a ‘disability’. Worse still, for a teacher to make this ‘diagnosis’.
“After a battery of tests, it was established that my son had symptoms associated with ADD and was a slow bloomer.” Van der Merwe went a step further and introduced her son to a preservative- and colourant-free diet, with no refined sugar and limited dairy products. He received remedial teaching to overcome his numeracy problem and now 11 years of age, is in a Model C school and thriving – without drugs.
She felt that if parents and teachers believed that a child could overcome the barrier(s) to learning, that child would overcome. “Parents expect too much of children these days. They should do more to establish why a child isn’t learning – do the necessary research, as well as a professional assessment of the child’s developmental levels and provide nutritional supplements,” she advised. “For us, the balanced approach has worked – a good diet, exercise and remedial teaching techniques.”
It’s indeed heartening that a wealth of information is available on learning disabilities, backed by a wide range of true professionals in the field. Parents can rest assured that a barrier to learning certainly no longer constitutes a disability for a child, but the corrective process is a journey of opportunity.
Written and edited by Mariette Greyling, https://tomar.co.za/ for The Schools’ Collection. Uploaded to PlanetParent on 28 August 2008
