What’s Wrong With Marty?

TWO-YEAR-OLD Marty was like a perpetual-motion machine​—he couldn’t sit still. He didn’t go to bed until midnight but got up early in the morning​—raring to go! He not only got into things he shouldn’t have but also seemed to break everything. His coordination was so poor that he was always tripping over his own feet and bumping into things. “That’s a boy for you,” others would tell his mother. “He’ll get over it.”

But he didn’t. At five, Marty had considerable difficulty expressing himself, compared to other five-year-olds. He had trouble formulating thoughts in his mind. When he turned six, he couldn’t write the letters of the alphabet and he couldn’t identify colors. When he started school, the problems multiplied. He couldn’t sit still. He couldn’t seem to focus on group activity, even briefly. Yet the teacher described him as a sensitive boy, trying hard to do right.

Marty was very easily distracted too. Why, he couldn’t walk from the kitchen to the bathroom to wash his hands without doing many other things along the way. And then when he got there he had forgotten why he went!

Then there were the temper tantrums​—uncontrolled and often frightening displays of anger, wild crying, stamping and kicking the floor. Whenever Marty’s parents asked him to do something, it was always the same thing​—he didn’t listen. And the frequent spankings didn’t seem to help either. Marty’s mother was at her wit’s end!

A bad boy? No. Mentally retarded? No. Well, then, below average intelligence? No, in fact he has normal intelligence. Then what is his problem? Actually, Marty has a learning disability.

Does Your Child Have Learning Problems?

Hundreds of thousands of children are being diagnosed as learning disabled. Is the label being misapplied to far too many children? How can you know if your child has a learning disability?

LEARNING DISABILITY is a term that has become popular in the last decade or so. It describes a variety of conditions that make it difficult for normally intelligent children to master one or more of the skills essential to learning. Such children have normal vision and hearing and no obvious physical handicap. Yet there is a gap between potential and achievement.

The cause? Unfortunately, research is inconclusive. But some findings point to a malfunctioning of one area or another of the brain caused by: trauma before, during or after birth; premature birth; disease of the mother during pregnancy; long labors or difficult deliveries. Thus, learning disabilities are often associated with minimal brain dysfunction. They may involve a defect in perception, that is, the child may have difficulty interpreting information coming in through his senses. There is also evidence that the problem may be hereditary, as indicated by the high incidence of boys over girls with this problem.

Signs and Symptoms

Whatever the cause, a child with learning disability has a very real problem. And it can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Of course, no single pattern of behavior typifies the learning-disabled child. No two children learn or behave in exactly the same way. Following are some of the symptoms, which can vary from mild to severe.

● Visual Perception Problems: “I can’t see the blackboard,” the child says. Yet vision tests reveal that he can see normally. Is he making excuses for poor work? Well, if he has a learning disability, he may have visual perception problems. That is, he may have difficulty interpreting what he sees. Although we see with our eyes, we understand what we see, not with our eyes, but with our brain.

Thus reading and writing may pose problems for him. In reading he may skip words. Words that begin with the same sound may be substituted one for another (“skip” for “skirt”). He may invert letters as he reads (“stop” for “spot”). In writing he may reverse letters (“b” for “d”) or whole words (“saw” for “was”).

● Auditory Perception Problems: “I didn’t hear you,” he replies when you ask him why he didn’t do what you said. Yet hearing tests reveal that he can hear normally. Did he really not hear you? Or is he being difficult, willfully disobedient?

If he has auditory perception problems, then in a sense he is deaf​—internally. He may hear only jumbled-up versions of other people’s speech. The “static” that he hears confuses him and may cause him to react in an aggressive manner. If given several instructions, he may in actuality hear only one. But, then, at other times all are heard and perceived by his brain. A sort of hit-and-miss affair.

● Language Problems: We learn to express ourselves from the things we hear. But a child with auditory perception problems has probably never heard in the full or normal sense. As a result, he cannot express his own ideas well. Words and ideas sometimes get turned around. “Mommy, the car is going backward,” he may say. But the car is really going forward.

● Visual and Auditory Memory Problems: Visual and auditory memory difficulties often follow a child who has either visual or auditory perception problems. Thus, he may not be able to remember what he has been told orally, or the order in which he was told to do things. When a lack of visual memory exists, he will have trouble remembering what he reads and where he puts things.

● Lost in Time and Space: The child with a learning disability may be lost in space, that is, the concept of up-down, left-right, above-below or in-out. Simply put, how can he understand that the shelf is up above, if he doesn’t know for sure that his feet are down below? Or if you ask him to put the paper into the box, he puts it under the box.

He tends to have a poor concept of his own body; he cannot figure out how much space it takes up. As a result, he is frequently misjudging himself. Little wonder that he is often awkward and clumsy​—far more than other children his own age.

His timing is usually off too. He seems bewildered by yesterday, today and tomorrow. You may wonder if he will ever learn the sequence of the days of the week or the months of the year.

● Poor Muscle Coordination: A learning-disabled youngster may also display a lack of fine motor skills. For him, cutting, coloring and drawing may be extremely difficult. He can’t tie his shoes, dress himself or cut his own food long after other children his own age have mastered these skills. Sports are difficult for him​—he can’t coordinate the bat and the ball.

● Rigid and Inflexible: The learning-disabled child tends to become rigid and inflexible. He wants what he wants when he wants it, no matter what is going on around him. He doesn’t see the wholeness of things; he sees the details and misses the picture. He becomes extremely anxious when the normal routine is disrupted.

“Can’t You Do Something With That Child?”

Is it any wonder that such a child would be given to anger, frustration and temper tantrums? After all, he may “hear” and “see” only sketches of information. He may be uncoordinated and called stupid by his classmates. Worst of all, he is perhaps not understood by his parents or teacher.

Granted, it is not easy to live with a child whose perception and timing may be off so much of the time. Such a parent may be given to anxiety and frustration more often than other parents. Sadly, though, their plight often elicits criticism. “Can’t you do something with that child?” a critical onlooker may ask.

The parent may feel that something is wrong with his child, but he can’t figure out what. Yet, early detection is important. If untreated, such a child may become withdrawn and alienated, never reaching his full potential.

“Doctor, My Child Has All the Symptoms”

So a worried parent may say while clutching a magazine article about learning disabilities. Literally hundreds of thousands of children are being diagnosed as “learning disabled.” Some children, of course, truly are. But could it be that the label is being applied indiscriminately to far too many youngsters?

“Many children are being labelled LD [learning disabled] who are nothing of the kind,” says psychiatrist Thomas P. Millar. Why the mislabeling? “No-fault parenthood” is one reason, explains Millar. The anxious parent says: “The reason my child is not learning well is not that I have been an inadequate parent. No, the reason is that he has a learning disability.” But does he? Or could it be “parent disability”?

Or, perhaps, “teaching disability”? Says Dr. Barbara Bateman, a recognized authority on learning disabilities: “Learning disability has become an incredibly successful excuse for the failure of the public schools to adequately teach those children who truly need good teaching.”

Another commonly used term is hyperactivity (or, hyperkinesis), which is often associated with learning disabilities.a What is hyperactivity? According to a report published by the Academy of Orthomolecular Psychiatry, it is “physical activity which appears driven​—as if there were an ‘inner tornado’—​so that the activity is beyond the child’s control, as compared to other children.” The symptoms? Short attention span, easily distracted, impulsive movement from place to place, difficulty in concentrating on one thing, inability to sit still.

“That sounds like my child,” a parent may say. But don’t be hasty in diagnosing your child. The fact that he is restless, energetic or fidgety does not necessarily mean that he is hyperactive. There may be some other cause​—allergy to a certain food, lack of sleep, or a hearing or vision problem.

Of course, learning disabilities along with hyperactivity are all too real, though the numbers may be exaggerated. What should you do if you suspect that your child has a learning disability? Seek professional advice. A child should not be labeled “learning disabled” until he has undergone careful testing.

Have a frank discussion with your child’s teacher. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Be certain that it is a learning disability, not a teaching disability. Find out what it is and what can be done about it. Sometimes simply understanding a problem can help. Once the diagnosis has been made, then what?

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 6]

Frustrated​—Why?

Parents​—What Can You Do?

“NOTHING works!” “He just doesn’t get it!” So the frustrated parent says. How can you get through to your learning-disabled child? And what can you do about hyperactivity if that is his problem?

A child with a learning problem needs what all other children need​—to be loved, understood and accepted by his parents. But he may require extra time and attention. He may sense that there is “something wrong” with him. He needs to be reassured over and over again that he is intelligent, not mentally retarded. He just needs more time to learn than others do.

In many localities, specialized educational programs are available. It takes special teaching skills to teach a child that does not learn in a normal way. Often this is difficult for parents; emotions get in the way. In some areas there are organizations dedicated to helping the parents of such children.

Besides this, there is much that you, the parent, can do to improve the home situation. To the extent that you make the home environment one that is orderly, filled with love and firmness for what’s right, your child will be secure and happy. At the same time, keep in mind that your child’s behavior problems may be a direct result of his learning disability; he may be acting out his frustrations. A few suggestions are offered here to help control not cure your learning-disabled child.

If the child has auditory perceptual problems, first be sure that when speaking to him you have his attention. Then speak slowly, not giving too many instructions at one time. Ask him to repeat what you said. Remember, he doesn’t always “hear” you. In fact, such children frequently mishear sounds: “Oh, I thought you said horse,” but actually the word was “house.” You might also try writing down instructions and tucking them inside his pocket. He may have to walk around with a pocketful of instructions, but at least he will remember what to do!

Disciplining a child with a learning disability who is perhaps hyperactive is by no means easy. Recalls Marty’s mother: “I decided Marty couldn’t learn right from wrong. I began excusing his behavior. But at the end of that year I had worse problems on my hands, and he had no respect for me.”

So don’t give up! As Proverbs 29:15 wisely recommends: “The rod and reproof are what give wisdom; but a boy let on the loose will be causing his mother shame.” But how can you get through to such a child?

“When it comes to behavior, I strive to know my daughter well enough to distinguish between can’t and won’t reactions,” says Sandra, whose daughter has a learning disability. “Then I know if I need to exercise understanding or firmness in handling the problem.”

Having such insight will demonstrate to the child your fairness and resoluteness for what’s right. This can be extremely effective in getting through to him.

What about punishment? A punishment of long duration, such as no television for a month, is usually ineffective. Why? Because by the middle of the month he will not remember what the punishment was for. But warning him that a trip to the zoo (or something else he is looking forward to) will be canceled if he continues to misbehave is usually more effective. Of course, he must know that you mean what you say. You must be consistent. “Just let your word Yes mean Yes, your No, No,” the Bible recommends. (Matthew 5:37) Does it really work?

Here’s what Marty’s mother reported: “Whenever he misbehaved, he was made to sit in the same isolated spot for four minutes. If he did not carry out directions in a reasonable amount of time, if he grabbed toys away from others or if he had a temper tantrum, out to the spot he went. This was extremely effective.”

Something else is very important: routine and organization. They provide the needed structure for these children. Routine and organization lessen confusion. A regular time for meals, homework, getting up and going to bed, and so forth, will help them to form good habits. And once you have established a schedule, try to stick to it.

A word about your child’s emotional well-being. As noted in the previous article, the learning-disabled child often is given to more frustration and disappointment than are other children. What can you do? Children learn much by example. So if your child sees that you can laugh at your own mistakes, it can help him to do the same with his. Getting him to verbalize his feelings can also help. If you share your feelings with him, it will make it easier for him to share his feelings with you.

What About Controlling Hyperactivity?

While not all youngsters with a learning disability are hyperactive, a significantly high percentage are. This, of course, compounds an already difficult situation. As with learning disability, hyperactivity can range from mild to severe. At times restlessness can be controlled by a change of pace, simply moving to a different activity. Beyond this, how can hyperactivity best be controlled?

Drug Management: In some cases amphetamines (stimulant drugs) are prescribed. Stimulant drugs? Yes. Paradoxically, they tend to have a calming effect on hyperactive children, bringing activity within normal range and improving concentration. Should you consider this form of treatment, you will want to weigh the possible side effects: nervousness, insomnia, hypersensitivity, dizziness, palpitations, loss of appetite and stunted growth. Some authorities recommend careful use of such drugs under a physician’s supervision. Others, however, are even more cautious, indicating that not enough is known about the safety and effectiveness of long-term use of stimulant drugs in treating hyperactivity. So you must decide.

Eliminate Food Additives: Beginning in 1973, Dr. Ben Feingold, pediatric allergist at the Kaiser-Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco, suggested that a diet free of artificial food additives and colorings could dramatically improve the behavior of at least 50 percent of hyperactive children. It was believed that these children have allergic reactions to food additives and colorings, causing adverse effects in behavior.

But since 1973 a controversy has raged, with the experts volleying back and forth over this issue. Summing up the controversy are the comments of Dr. Stanford Miller of the Food and Drug Administration: “Studies suggest there is some kind of link between behavior in some sets of children and food components, but based on the evidence we have, I have to conclude that the jury is still out on the question.”

Megavitamin Therapy: The megavitamin therapy has been used in treating some children with hyperactivity. Treatment consists of large doses of vitamins, the elimination of sugar and the careful maintenance of proper nutrition. In some cases, a significant decrease in hyperactivity has been the result.

But, again, the experts don’t all agree. Some claim that there seems to be no effect of megavitamins upon learning disabilities or hyperactivity, warning that there can be health problems caused by the side effects of high dosages of vitamins. How do they explain the improvement in children who are treated with the megavitamin therapy? Increased attention of the family toward the child’s problems and the determination to help him or her, they claim.

On the other hand, proponents of the megavitamin therapy argue that the side effects that sometimes occur are dose related and subside with decrease of the dosage.

It would be advisable to consult with a physician, especially a pediatrician, in both diagnosing and carrying out any of the above-mentioned therapies.

Clearly, there is no easy remedy. But one thing appears certain. Learning disabilities and hyperactivity are real maladies caused by one or more factors other than a child’s own reluctance to be “still” or his refusal to learn. Such a child needs special help to meet his special needs. Above all, he needs a parent who understands his “difference.” This presents a real challenge for parents, as the following article shows.

What about the future? With proper training, many such children can lead normal, productive lives. Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein are among those who successfully dealt with learning problems.

But there is even greater reason for hope. The fulfillment of Bible prophecy clearly indicates that we are living in “the last days.” (2 Timothy 3:1-5) We are fast nearing the end of this wicked system of things. What will follow? A righteous New Order of God’s making wherein handicaps such as learning disabilities will be done away with. Imagine that! No longer will there be a gap between potential and achievement. No longer will children such as Marty have to feel like a square peg trying to fit into a round hole.​—2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1-4.

[Blurb on page 8]

“Your child wants to learn! . . . His bad behavior is a normal reaction to frustration. . . . Bad behavior is his way of saying, ‘Look at me! I’ve got a learning problem. I need help!’”​—Dr. Robert D. Carpenter

[Picture on page 9]

Try to distinguish between can’t and won’t reactions

[Picture on page 10]

He needs reassurance

A Mother’s Story

WE WERE in our middle 20’s, and now we were about to become parents. Oh, how we wanted this child! I was careful about my diet, had good prenatal care and did all I could to ensure a normal, healthy baby.

At the onset of labor we excitedly went to the hospital. But how long we waited! After more than 24 hours, the doctor, afraid that the baby might be showing signs of stress, ordered drug-induced stimulation of labor.

Several hours later I awoke to learn that we had a baby girl. When we first saw Jessica, how thrilled we were! We noticed, though, that she was very red​—unlike the other newborn. The doctors assured us that she was normal and healthy; it was a temporary condition caused by the difficult delivery.

The first three months with any infant can be most taxing. But Jessica always seemed to be screaming for long periods of time. The doctor dismissed it, saying, “She’ll get over it.” At about six months of age Jessica started crawling. She seemed filled with energy, quickly moving from one thing to another. Observers would say, “Watching her gives me a headache.”

As Jessica approached two years of age, things worsened. She was always falling and hurting herself. She cried easily and often for no apparent reason. Mealtime was usually a tearful scene. Worst of all were the temper tantrums. “Why,” we would ask, “just because we said, ‘You can’t have another cookie’?”

On the lighter side, her behavior did have its amusing aspects. Why, once in a department store she got into the store window, undressed the mannequin and started to carry it away! ‘But how does she think of such things?’ we wondered.

Then there were the disasters at home, constant messes in big order. I was wearing thin. How could I keep up with this child who was only two but didn’t go to sleep until midnight and got up at dawn? Even observers were saying, “She sure is a handful.” We tried to be firm, but why wasn’t anything working?

Hyperactive?

About this time a visiting friend, seeing our plight, told us that her child was hyperactive and had we ever thought about seeing a doctor who specialized in treating hyperactivity. She was convinced that her son had been helped, and she urged us to do something.

Hyperactive? we wondered. We did not want to jump to a wrong conclusion. But after a lengthy consultation with the doctor and some observation of Jessica, sure enough, she was diagnosed as hyperactive. The doctor recommended the removal of sugar from her diet and that she take certain vitamins, suggesting that the lack of various nutrients in her body was causing a chemical imbalance, which produced hyperactivity.

Reflecting, we had long observed that after eating certain foods, especially “junk foods,” Jessica appeared supercharged. We now felt that at long last we had something to go on. We began keeping a log of foods eaten and behavior. Sugar alone didn’t seem to be the culprit; some foods with sugar didn’t seem to affect her.

Shortly thereafter we stumbled on an article in a newspaper about an allergist and his recent book on how artificial colorings and flavorings had been linked to hyperactivity. Now that seemed more specific, we thought. In reading the book, it seemed to make a lot of sense. Could this be Jessica’s problem?

Our suspicions apparently proved correct. Eliminating all artificial colors and flavors produced dramatic results! Jessica slowed down greatly. It was as if her motor, once racing too fast for her body, was now down to its normal rate.

Eliminating artificial colors and flavors, that’s easy enough, we thought . . . until we started reading labels! They are everywhere! Add to that, eating in restaurants, at homes of friends​—it is no easy task. However, there were times when Jessica would eat a confirmed “artificial” and nothing would happen. Thus, she did not prove to be allergic to every artificial coloring and flavor.

Problems at School

Time passed. When Jessica was four and a half, her brother Christopher was born. We thought we were finally settling down to a more normal life. People noticed the change in Jessica’s behavior. For the first time we were beginning to see her real personality come through.

Now a new dimension was surfacing. We already knew that Jessica was very clumsy, often falling and habitually spilling things; she was always covered with scrapes and bruises. But she would soon be starting school. We were concerned. Why, at five years of age, did she have such a hard time holding a crayon and coloring on paper? Would she have difficulty learning?

School started. Excited and happy, Jessica was so eager to learn. And so began the coloring, pasting and cutting that go with kindergarten. But her obvious difficulty with these skills was soon noticed.

We worked with her at great lengths at home. Those homework hours were often painful for her and for us. By the end of that year we reflected: Why did it seem so difficult for an otherwise bright child to master the printing of the alphabet? Other things puzzled us too: Why did she always write her name Jesscia? And why did she frequently reverse letters, such as b and d?

In first grade Jessica progressed very fast in some areas. She seemed to read quite easily, but math and spelling were very weak. It seemed strange that her papers were marked either very good or extremely poor. “I didn’t get it,” or, “I couldn’t see the blackboard,” she would explain.

Promptly, we took her for hearing and vision tests, which, much to our surprise, revealed hearing and vision to be normal. The situation, however, only worsened. There were far too many headaches and stomach aches related to school, as well as repeated cases of crying in the classroom and again when returning home.

Even at home we were noticing a child of almost seven who had to be told over and over again to do something, as if she didn’t hear us. She seemed so absentminded. Shoes were always on the wrong feet and dresses put on backward. The days of the week made no sense to her and she didn’t know the difference between yesterday, today and tomorrow.

By second grade Jessica’s problems in school got even worse. How could she know the words one day and then, come the spelling test, reverse letters, like siad instead of said? Math was no different. Simple concepts like 2 + 2 = 4 made little or no sense to her. The teacher kept writing, “You must help Jessica at home.” We were exasperated!

Learning Disabled Too?

Finally, at one of our many visits to the school, we asked to see the learning disabilities specialist. We described Jessica and her learning problems. A psychological evaluation was ordered. We were tense, anticipating the results.

They were conclusive. Jessica was indeed learning disabled. She had both auditory and visual perception problems. Visual and auditory memory were far below average, and there were significant problems with muscle coordination.

It was painful to face these facts, but we accepted them. The psychologist explained to us what these findings meant in Jessica’s case. With proper help she could, by special teaching techniques, be taught the things she had failed to grasp and in time catch up with her class.

We were certainly relieved. All along she really was paying attention! It wasn’t her fault that her brain was misinterpreting the signals received from her eyes and ears. For the first time we now really understood our daughter.

It has been a few years now since Jessica’s learning disability was determined. Our only regret is that we lost valuable years in tracking down the source of her problems. In addition to the special aid given her in school, we have found a private tutor most helpful. The progress has been more than we expected. Her own sense of self-worth has returned. Instead of a frustrated, rejected child headed for serious emotional problems, she now knows that she can learn. She is happy much more of the time, and the bond of love between us has deepened.

As for the future, we realize that it may take Jessica longer to reach the maturity of adulthood. But having isolated the problem and having learned how to work with it, we will do all we can to help her reach her full potential.​—Contributed.