| HOW TO OVERCOME FROM LEARNING | | | | may find it stressful to learn thereby |
| DISABILITIES? | | | | loosing interest in the learning process |
| BY PROF. M.S.RAO, ACADEMIC GUIDE, ICFAI | | | | itself. Frequent forgetful is another |
| UNIVERSITY, INDIA | | | | fall out of this drawback. The child |
| " I was, on the whole, considerably | | | | gets demotivated. The future looks very |
| discouraged by my school days. It was | | | | dark for the child and it takes a very |
| not pleasant to feel oneself so | | | | long time to pull him out. Precious |
| completely outclassed and left behind at | | | | time gets wasted in the learning |
| the beginning of the race", quoted | | | | process. The student may get beset with |
| Winston Churchill. | | | | constant fear of failure and fear of |
| INTRODUCTION: | | | | criticism. |
| Do you know what the great personalities | | | | REMEDIES: |
| like Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, | | | | It is desirable to identify the problem |
| Alexander Gram Bell, Walt Disney had one | | | | first. One has to accept that it is a |
| difficulty in common? It is none other | | | | problem that needs to be paid more |
| than Learning Disability. All of them | | | | attention so that it can be addressed |
| had difficulty in learning yet they | | | | accordingly. The parent as well as the |
| succeeded in their lives. | | | | teacher should empathize with the child. |
| WHAT IS LEARNING DISABILITY? | | | | The child should be treated with |
| According to Wikipedia, " In the US and | | | | concern and care, and needs to be |
| Canada, the term Learning Disability | | | | trained tenderly with extra efforts. |
| (LD) refers to a group of disorders that | | | | The technological inventions can be made |
| affect a broad range of academic and | | | | use of up to the hilt for the same. |
| functional skills including the ability | | | | While teaching, the teacher makes use of |
| to speak, listen, read, write, spell, | | | | audio and visual effects. In the case |
| reason and organize information". | | | | of such children, the application of |
| Many parents do not know that their | | | | visual aid proves handier and the child |
| children possess this drawback. LD can | | | | can also discover the joy of learning. |
| be defined as the inability or | | | | Such child needs constant appreciation, |
| incapability on the part of the child to | | | | motivation and pat. By doing so we can |
| understand grasp, or learn, or to read, | | | | check the child getting deviated due to |
| to memorize or pronounce properly, or to | | | | negative pulls and pressures. |
| speak however the best efforts a child | | | | Encourage the child by participating in |
| might put. In developed countries this | | | | quizzes, brain games like chess sudoku, |
| problem has been recognized and | | | | cross word puzzle etc., as such |
| addressed properly. Where as in the | | | | activities stimulate the mental |
| developing countries the problem is not | | | | faculties. Teachers and parents have to |
| addressed, as they are yet to know it as | | | | play a proactive role so as to overcome |
| a problem. LD can also be called | | | | the child from LD. |
| Dyslexia and also Attention Deficit | | | | CONCLUSION: |
| Disorder (ADD). | | | | Anne Ford clearly said, "Learning |
| CAUSES: | | | | disabilities can not be cured, but they |
| The root of the problem can be ascribed | | | | can be treated successfully and children |
| in number of ways. A few parents whip | | | | with Learning Disability can go on to |
| up children for failing to pass or | | | | live happy, successful lives". |
| failing to score in examination without | | | | Keeping Corporate Social Responsibility |
| knowing that the child has the | | | | (CSR) in view, the corporate should come |
| disability to learn. In most of the | | | | forward to highlight the issue of LD. |
| cases the problem is due to the heredity | | | | In this context, it is relevant to note |
| background or due to genetic factors. | | | | that Tata Interactive Systems (TIS) |
| Either the maternal or paternal side of | | | | sponsored the Mumbai Marathon in 2006 by |
| the child there might be mental | | | | highlighting this drawback. |
| disorders. Or at times it could due to | | | | Individually also, people must come |
| genetic factors. If a woman does not | | | | forward to address this problem. |
| take nutritious food nor had any problem | | | | When we can convert negative slogan like |
| may also result in the birth of the | | | | physically handicapped into a positive |
| child with this difficulty. If the | | | | slogan like physically challenged and |
| child meets with any accidents and it | | | | mentally retarded into mentally |
| may affect him mentally. At times due | | | | challenged then can we not convert a |
| to external disturbances like noise can | | | | negative slogan like Learning Disability |
| become a barrier to poor listening and | | | | into a better positive slogan? Just |
| learning. LD can not be equated with | | | | think! |
| low intelligence. The child has the | | | | MESSAGE: |
| mental disorder to learn. Because of | | | | All human beings have one weakness or |
| all these drawbacks, besides improper | | | | the other and no one is free from |
| concentration the child has the | | | | weaknesses as a whole. What is needed |
| inability to understand what the speaker | | | | is the ability to convert weaknesses |
| is saying and thus finding it very | | | | into strengths. Everything is possible |
| difficult to paraphrase. | | | | in this world. What is needed is the |
| EFFECTS: | | | | iron will and grit to overcome from |
| The child gradually develops low | | | | difficulties and drawbacks. Great |
| self-esteem because of poor performance. | | | | leaders in the world survived and |
| He gets upset mentally, emotionally, | | | | succeeded in spite of suffering from |
| psychologically whenever he is subjected | | | | this difficulty. Therefore, turn your |
| to neglect or humiliation or ridicule, | | | | scars into stars so that success would |
| rejection or ostracisation. Whenever | | | | touch your toes. |
| the child puts more efforts to learn he | | | | |