SCHOLASTIC BACKWARDNESS OR SCHOLASTIC UNDERACHIEVEMENTS

Main cause of anxiety for par- ents, in spite of good upbringing and devoting proper attention towards the child, his performance is poor in school. It is considered as neuropsychological handicap for learning. The child may not be able to fully comprehend the visual and auditory stimuli. This affects the learning process. Children, who have the history of severe birth asphyxia, are likely to have scholastic backwardness. They may attend good physical growth for their age.

SCHOLASTIC BACKWARDNESS OR SCHOLASTIC UNDERACHIEVEMENTS

Other Causes of Scholastic back- wardness

SCHOLASTIC BACKWARDNESS OR SCHOLASTIC UNDERACHIEVEMENTS

1. Refractory error
2. Hearing defect
3. Chronic illness like epilepsy, bronchial asthma, Cooley’s anemia. Such diseases cause frequent absence at school.
4. Frequent change of school and residence
5. Fear of teachers, fear of friends in school

Clinical Features Scholastic Backwardness or Scholastic Underachievments

Clinical features may vary with the age.

Commonest features are- 

1. Hyperactivity
2. Unable to follow instructions or unable to recollect things told just before few minutes (Disturbance of short term memory)
3. Poor attention and inability to concentrate in classroom
4. Difficulty in speech
5. Difficulty in learning the arithmetic skills, unable to draw figures.
6. Impulsive aggressive behavior
7. Clumsy behavior and dress

Signs of SCHOLASTIC BACKWARDNESS OR SCHOLASTIC UNDERACHIEVEMENTS

1. Speech defect
2. Refractory error
3. Hearing defect

Management SCHOLASTIC BACKWARDNESS OR SCHOLASTIC UNDERACHIEVEMENTS

1. If visual or auditory defect is found, it is to be corrected.
2. Parent’s Counseling: Parents should be told about the child’s condition and they should be explained that, vigorous training or punishing won’t help in improving the things. Parents should adjust themselves according to learning capacity of their child and they should have optimum expectations from such child.
3. For hyperactive child-
a. Methyl Phenidate (Ritalin) is given in small dose (0.3 mg/ kg/day)
b. Phenothiazine group of drug may be used as tranquillizer.
c. Ayurvedic medicines like, Shankhapushpi may help in im- proving memory and improving School performance.
4. If the child is unable to learn in normal school, and if he is far be- hind the normal average student, he should be sent to special school, where more stress is given for vocational training rather than to academic syllabus.

 For Behavioral problem of Children also read Child Sppech defects

SPEECH DEFECTS IN CHILDREN

Speech development in children is a gradual process. By 28 weeks of age, child imitates sound. By 32 weeks he imitates sound like “DA-DA” “Ma- Ma”. By 1 year he is able to utter 2 to 3 words with meaning. By 21 to 24 months, child is able to join 2-3 words and speak. He is also able to repeat the said things. By the age of 3 years, child develops normal speech. However some children may have speech defect like stuttering or hesitation. It may disappear as the child grows. In some children, it may persist beyond the age of five years. It is probably because of inability to cope up emotional and environmental stresses. Because of this defect, child starts losing confidence and avoids mixing with other children, His school performance may also suffer due to this.

Treatment

Reassurance to parents that stuttering is common below the age of 5 years and it may disappear without any interference. If it persists beyond 5 years, parents are concerned about. Such children are sent for Speech therapy.

TICS

Tics are defined as sudden, involuntary, repetitive, meaningless movements of voluntary muscles usually of face, neck and fingers. It may be in form of facial grimace, cleaning of throat, shrugging of shoulders, twitching of fingers. It aggravates during stressful situation. It is more common after the age of 6 years.

Differential Diagnosis

Rheumatic chorea should be differenti- with skin rash, rheumatic nodule, joint pain, etc. ated from this. This may be associated with skin rash,rheumatic nodule,joint pain ,etc.