Thursday, April 30, 2009

Language Processing Disorder; Early dignosis is crucial!

Language Processing Disorder is a very serious matter. The moment you suspect your child has it (see What is Language Processing Disorder? for the signs and characteristics of LPD.) see a Neuro-Pediatrician Immediately!

Why?

According to my son's Neuro-pediatrician, a child's brain is almost fully developed at 4 years old. 



Now, how does the brain develops?


For the brain to be fully developed, the brain cells, which are called neurons should grow completely. When we say grow completely, it means synapses should grow from them and connect with the synapses of other brain cells. This happens if there is learning or the repetitive use of the brain cell. 


Example, when a child learns about one thing, say a word, synapses grow from a neuron to connect with other synapses of other neurons for this particular learned knowledge. The repetitive use of this learned word will make nerve impulses to travel to and fro the neurons by way of the synapses.Through this, the synapse connections become permanent. As more and more things are learned, more and more neurons grow and connect with each other. As more neurons are formed and connected with more neurons, the brain becomes able to perform complex functions and process complex knowledge. 


Learning helps in the development of the brain. And this is where the problem comes in the case of LPD.

LPD causes a child to learn slower. It is said that learning among children is facilitated by language. As the child learns to speak, also comes the learning of the things around him. With LPD, the child is incapacitated in the discrimination and processing of sounds, thus slowing him, if not hampering, to learn about words and speaking.

With their learning of words slowed down, so is their learning of the things around them. With learning slowed down, so is their brain development. Without learning, synapses of neurons can't grow and connect with other neurons. Without learning, there are no nerve impulses or electrical impulses to travel through synapses. If nerve/electrical impulses do not travel through the synapses, the synapses die. As synapses die, brain cells cannot connect with other brain cells making them unable to work. As brain cells become unable to work, they start to weaken and also die.

A child's brain should be developed by 4 years old. With language processing disorder, this development is then disrupted. How can a child whose brain was not developed properly, fare with challenges of living?

When my son was diagnosed with LPD, he was 2 1/2 years old. And I was so crushed because the doctor told me I may expect problems with my child especially with his intelligence. At 2 years old, a child's brain should be 50% developed; but because he has Language Processing Disorder, his brain was developing behind. His language and comprehension skills were behind that of a 2 year old, and that was a clear indication.

I understand that denial is the number one thing that may cause a parent not to seek therapeutic intervention at once. I had been through it. It's not the disorder that was hard to accept, but the facts of it. The unfortunate possibilities that lay ahead for your child, the thought of these is horrifying. It took me several weeks before I went to the therapist, though I cannot see yet any negative implications of that several weeks of denying, I cannot be sure that there will be none (and I am so praying hard that there will be none). It is okay to be in denial, but do not deny your kid the help necessary for him to cope up with the situation he is in.

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Language Processing disorder; How it affects your Child's Future!

Language Processing Disorder, as you read from my previous entries, is a disorder which greatly affects a child's life in more ways parents could ever imagine. It is characterized by:

  • late speech (at 2 years old, the child could barely speak), hyperactivity (due to the fact that the child can't express himself verbally thus he channels everything he wants to say and his frustrations on being able to be understood, through actions),
  • and to some kids, hypo activity (due to the emotional effect of not being understood, and the emotional effect of the parents' frustrations and the discrimination of the people around them),
  • inability to focus, or the short attention span (easily gets bored),
  • and for some,tantrums, that nasty tantrums (more on toddlers).
To most people, LPD is foreign; it is something they don't understand. Awareness is limited only to people who are directly involved to children with this disorder, doctors and parents of diagnosed children. Since most parents are not aware, a lot of kids with this disorder are never diagnosed, and never get therapeutic interventions.


LPD is a manageable disorder. With intervention, the chances of affected kids coping up with the disorder are very high. Without it, the disorder progresses, resulting to the following:
  1. Academically Poor Students. Children with LPD's learning abilities are somewhat behind of their age. Because language is synonymous to learning and development, the mere fact that the child is delayed in speaking, means the child's development as a whole is somewhat delayed too. (Remember LPD is due to the inability of the child to recognize and distinguish sounds of words.) Coping up in school is somewhat difficult if not impossible to kids with LPD who do not receive therapeutic interventions.
  2. Personality Problems. Children with LPD have this inability to express themselves verbally, thus rendering them difficult to understand. Because of this, they are labeled and discriminated as retards or morons. They could also be treated with animosity, disdain and indifference by the people around them. This will make the children feel rejected, resented and even traumatized, causing them to develop personality problems. 
  3. Learning Disabilities. Because learning is slow and somewhat hampered among children with LPD, cognitive skills tend to develop slower which leads to learning disabilities.
Now picture these things happening to your child, what do you think will his future be?
LPD is a serious matter. If you suspect your child has it, see a neuropediatrician now!

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