Dyslexia ADDventures

Every parent I have met, goes through the emotion of disbelief, pain, guilt, not necessarily in that order, when they come to know their child has ‘difficulty’ with learning ( It’s not difficulty or disability but the brain’s ability to learn differently – Neuroplasticity ). Going through these emotions is normal. But at the end of it, I have to rationalise and prepare to take the next step. The first step towards dealing with learning difference in our child is acceptance, which is unconditional. The moment we accept, the perspective shifts. I don’t look at the situation with trepidation and fear, but with acceptance and love. With acceptance and love comes the ability to find approaches to help our child become learning independent. This is important since young children require adult intervention to become learning independent. In our culture, we place undue emphasis on the written word. When a child has difficulty with the written word, we bludgeon the child with an ove

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

When I met Vaishnavi* for the first time, she came across as a soft-spoken woman – spry and energetic in her sixties. Her eyes exude kindness and compassion. In reality, this façade props up a woman of steel. She’s a terrific lady. And once you get to know her, you’ll realise she’s a storehouse of knowledge on supporting a child with learning differences, as a parent and as a teacher. Listen to her story of struggle and triumph in her son’s turbulent voyage through school; and how he emerges victorious because his mum believed in him and stood by him. Listen to Vaishnavi's story: *Name changed on request.

Sugar buns drenched in warm, melting butter were the highlight. Baking bread at Big Man's Bakery . Bread Basket

We usually hear about occupational therapy (OT) in a certain context: when adults are rehabilitated after a stroke, an accident or complicated surgery. Occupational therapy helps people to learn to do the activities of daily life – self-care and social skills, social interaction, education, work. Why should children with LD/ADHD go through OT? The main occupation of children is to play and learn. Children with LD/ADHD usually have issues with sensory integration, also known as Sensory Processing Disorder which hinders their ability to play and learn. Occupational therapy will help to integrate all the senses. Since we perceive, understand and behave according to what the senses tell us, a breakdown or disturbance in this neural pathway will cause changes in the way we behave. If a child’s auditory (hearing) sense is under stimulated (hypo) the child will not pick up all the sounds she hears. When she listens to a nursery rhyme (Ding, Don