Skip to main content

‘High-risk’ Children

Nine years ago when my daughter was assessed for ADHD and Dyslexia she was five years old, my husband was 33. For him our daughter’s ‘diagnosis’ was like cool droplets of rain on a hot summer day. Blessed relief! He realised he was not weird or crazy. The diagnosis gave him a better perspective of his struggle as a young adult in school. Many of his inadequacies as an adult now seemed solvable and something he could deal with. It was only learning difficulty and he could cope with that! My way of coping was to equip myself with knowledge. I devoured books on ADHD and Dyslexia. (I think all of us have LD in a fashion! But when it comes in the way of daily living and impedes the ability to realise our potential, we have to seek help.)

I understood Learning Disability (LD)/ADHD is primarily genetic and runs in families. I saw a pattern. My husband and father-in-law. At least three immediate blood relatives of my father-in-law (I don’t want to name them). I am not even looking at a generation or two before. My daughter is first born and first born children of an LD/ADHD parent have a greater chance of being LD/ADHD. (My husband is first born too!) Children in these families have a greater risk or possibility of having LD/ADHD.


What does all this information convey? LD/ADHD is primarily genetic. Correct. But most important: Early diagnosis and remedial strategies are necessary to help the child cope with LD/ADHD so she can integrate into mainstream education, realise her potential and contribute to her environment as a healthy adult.
Labels:

Comments

  1. Swapna4 September 2016 at 00:48

    Very good effort Mridula. Here is something is found in The Hindu today. http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-dyslexia-test-for-nonenglish-speakers/article9070400.ece

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mrudula4 September 2016 at 10:20

    Thank you Swapna. Yes, I did read that article.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chef Venkatesh Bhat On How He Managed Dyslexia

Chef Venkatesh Bhat was at his inspiring best when he spoke with frankness about how he managed his dyslexia to become a successful chef. Watch the interview here: Interview courtesy: Madras Dyslexia Association
5 comments
Read more

Executive Function

What is Executive Function? “The executive functions are a set of processes that all have to do with managing oneself and one’s resources in order to achieve a goal. It is an umbrella term for the neurologically-based skills involving mental control and self-regulation.” Late, Lost, and Unprepared: A Parents’ Guide to Helping Children with Executive Functioning by Joyce Cooper-Kahn and Laurie Dietzel What does the above definition mean? Executive functions help us manage life-skills which are necessary to navigate daily-living all through our life. You need executive functions to plan and get through your day, study for an exam, research a project or plan a holiday. However, organizing is only one of these important skills. Intellectual ability is different from having good executive functions. Very bright children can have weak executive functioning. Like other cognitive skills, the executive functions follow a developmental course. Development of these imp...
1 comment
Read more

I know, something’s wrong!

I knew LD/ADHD is genetic only after my daughter was assessed for it. However, you can catch the signs much earlier if you’re observant. You instinctively know something is ‘off’ by the time the child is two and a half to 3 years old. I never knew anything about Dyslexia , LD , or ADHD . In my case, the revelation did not appear like a bolt from the clear blue sky, but was a gradual affirmation of all I felt and knew was ‘off’ with my daughter. Much of the knowledge I gained is in hindsight, but it is knowledge which empowered me to advocate for my child. Here’s what my child did: Kicked like crazy and moved constantly in the womb. Remained in the womb even after 9 months.   Just made the minimum birth weight cut off. She spoke very early, by 8-9 months (many children also have delayed speech, beyond 2 years). She did not crawl, instead she waddled on her knees like a penguin on roller skates. And then, one day (11-12 months) she stood up and ran. She couldn’t s...
3 comments
Read more