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Learning Disorders Health Article

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Treatment

Once a learning disorder has been diagnosed, an individual education plan (IEP) is developed for the child in question. IEPs are based on psychoeducational test findings. They provide for annual testing to measure a child's progress. Students with learning disorders may receive special instruction within a regular general education class or they may be taught in a special education or learning center for a portion of the day.

Common strategies for the treatment of reading disorders focus first on improving a child's recognition of the sounds of letters and language through phonics training. Later strategies focus on comprehension, retention, and study skills. Students with disorders of written expression are often encouraged to keep journals and to write with a computer keyboard instead of a pencil. Instruction for students with mathematical disorders emphasizes real-world uses of math, such as balancing a checkbook or comparing prices.

Ensuring that the child has proper nutrition can help in the treatment of learning disorders. Those who do not receive the proper doses that they need may require changes in their diets, or supplements are taken. Supplements that may help with learning disorders are fish oil, flax oil, primrose oil, and omega-3 fatty acids. Eliminating food additives, like colors and preservatives, as well decreasing the child's consumption of refined sugars, can also be helpful.

Meditation is also beneficial. It helps to slow the mind down and take in the surroundings while focusing on the task at hand.

Herbal remedies may also help to focus the mind. St. John's wort and Ginkgo biloba are used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Ginkgo is a blood thinner and those considering taking it should consult a doctor beforehand.

Expected results

The high school dropout rate for children with learning disabilities is almost 40%. Children with learning disabilities that go undiagnosed or are improperly treated may never achieve functional literacy. They often develop serious behavior problems as a result of their frustration with school; in addition, their learning problems are often stressful for other family members and may strain family relationships. The key to helping these students reach their fullest potential is early detection and the implementation of an appropriate individualized education plan. The prognosis is good for a large percentage of children with reading disorders that are identified and treated early. Learning disorders continue into adulthood, but with proper educational and vocational training, an individual can complete college and pursue a challenging career. Studies of the occupational choices of adults with dyslexia indicate that they do particularly well in people-oriented professions and occupations, such as nursing or sales.

BOOKS

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, text revision. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association, 2000.

Church, Robin P., M.E.B. Lewis, and Mark L. Batshaw. "Learning Disabilities." Children with Disabilities. edited by Mark L. Batshaw. 4th ed. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes, 1997.

"Learning Disorders. " Section 19, Chapter 262 in The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, edited by Mark H. Beers, MD, and Robert Berkow, MD. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories, 2002.

Mars, Laura. The Complete Learning Disabilities Directory, 1999/2000. Grey House Publishing, 1999.

Osman, Betty B. Learning Disabilities and ADHD: A Family Guide to Living and Learning Together. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1997.

PERIODICALS

Baringa, Marcia. "Learning Defect Identified in Brain." Science. 273 (August 1996): 867–868.

Galaburda, D. M., and B. C. Duchaine. "Developmental Disorders of Vision." Neurologic Clinics 21 (August 2003): 687–707.

Gillberg, C., and H. Soderstrom. "Learning Disability." Lancet 362 (September 6, 2003): 811–821.

Stage, Frances K. and Nancy V. Milne. "Invisible Scholars: Students With Learning Disabilities." Journal of Higher Education. 67 (July–August 1996): 426–45.

Taipale, M., N. Kaminen, J. Nopola-Hemmi, et al. "A Candidate Gene for Developmental Dyslexia Encodes a Nuclear Tetratricopeptide Repeat Domain Protein Dynamically Regulated in Brain." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA 100 (September 30, 2003): 11553–11558.

Taylor, K. E., and J. Walter. "Occupation Choices of Adults With and Without Symptoms of Dyslexia." Dyslexia 9 (August 2003): 177–185.

Witt, W. P., A. W. Riley, and M. J. Coiro. "Childhood Functional Status, Family Stressors, and Psychosocial Adjustment Among School-Aged Children with Disabilities in the United States." Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 157 (July 2003): 687–695.