"I'm teaching a class on preventing learning disabilities. Do you have suggestions on information I should include?"
Answer: Hello, and thank you for writing. I will attempt to answer your question below:
In some cases, children with learning disabilities may have delays in physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional skills. Learning problems can be related to environmental and biological factors.Read more about developmental delays.
Delays in development is one of the first signs of possible disability. However, please know that the developmental milestones I have listed are for children in the U.S. It is possible that children in India may have different development rates. So, it will be important for your students to learn about typical development in your area to determine what is typical and what could be a sign of a problem. All developmental milestones should be viewed as flexible and as ranges of normal development rather than absolute requirements. Here is more information on developmental stages.
Some children do not show delays in development but still have learning disabilities. In these cases, the problems are not always clear until the children reach school and begin to have difficulty with meeting the requirements of the teacher. More on early signs of learning disabilities.
It is possible to prevent learning disabilities in some cases. Ideally, prevention should start before a child is conceived. Women planning to have children should have appropriate nutrition, and vitamins and have an exam by a doctor to deal with any medical issues before conception. The household should eliminate smoking and alcohol. If there are other smokers in the home, they should stop or smoke only outside. Second-hand smoke can cause numerous problems for developing babies. Children in smoking homes are more likely to have asthma and ear infections for example. Of course, drugs of any type can affect a developing fetus. Anyone taking any type of drug should discuss this with their doctors before becoming pregnant. Also, if the person is already expecting a baby, they should still talk with their doctor about any drugs to learn about risks and what the best course of action is for them and their child.
Children should be seen by a doctor on a regular basis during early development to ensure he receives appropriate care to prevent illnesses. Several childhood illnesses can lead to physical problems that can affect hearing, vision, physical development, and cognitive development. Preventing these illnesses can reduce the possibility of later learning problems.
Even when parents have done everything possible to prevent disabilities, they may still happen because of biological factors. There is a higher rate of learning disabilities in children whose relatives also had learning problems. While this cannot be prevented, early intervention can often lessen the severity of the disability.
Environmental factors can affect learning as well. Brain injuries, exposure to toxic substances such as lead or chemicals, malnutrition, and physical or mental abuse have shown negative effects on children's development. It is advised that any of this be avoided if possible.
In situations where children have been exposed to environmental factors or have biological based learning disabilities, it is possible to still improve their quality of life by providing therapy and instruction. Therapies can include occupational, and physical therapies. Some children will also need ongoing medical care. In the U.S., many children (even those with severe, low-incidence handicaps) are still served in public schools. A very small number of children are served in hospitals or skilled medical care facilities.
