EDUCATION
REPORT - Learning Disabilities, Part 7: Attention Deficit Disorder
By Nancy Steinbach
This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Education Report.
We continue our series about learning disabilities.
So far, we have discussed some of the brain disorders that make different
skills unusually difficult to learn. Last week, we told how schools
can help.
Today, we discuss something that is not considered
a learning disability itself. We include it in our series because it
can interfere with learning. Our subject is attention deficit disorder,
or A.D.D. A related form is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
-- A.D.H.D.
These are some of the signs of one or both: Children
cannot sit still and control themselves. They talk excessively, and
do not seem to listen. They lose things, forget easily and are not able
to finish tasks.
Many of us experience problems like these at one time
or another. But people with A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. say it interferes with
their lives and threatens their chances for success. One woman says
it is like having twenty televisions in her head, all on different programs.
Doctors say the cause involves chemical balances in
the brain. It can affect not only school performance, but also personal
relationships and the ability to keep a job. Many people with attention
deficit are also found to have a learning disability or suffer from
depression.
A doctor has to identify A.D.D or A.D.H.D. There are
drugs to help the chemical balances in the brain. These drugs calm people
down, so they can finish tasks. But there are also possible side effects.
Critics say parents and doctors are often too quick
to give drugs. Some children outgrow effects like hyperactivity. Critics
also express concern at the growing numbers of boys and girls identified
with A.D.D. or A.D.H.D. Others say these are real disabilities.
Drugs alone are not enough. Other important parts
of treatment include providing a supportive environment. Students need
to learn organizational skills, better use of time and different ways
to study. They often need extended time to take tests, and individual
help from concerned adults. Experts say children who make problems in
class may not find their schoolwork interesting enough or difficult
enough.
Our series continues next week. All of our reports
are on the Internet at voaspecialenglish.com. We also have links to
organizations for people with A.D.D. or A.D.H.D in thirty-nine countries
around the world.
This VOA Special English Education Report was
written by Nancy Steinbach. This is Steve Ember.
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