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Dr. Kevin Kennedy of Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates. | |
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Subject: Re: 13 yr old w/ learning disabilities Topic Area: Other Behavioral TopicsPosted by Ouida on July 13, 1999 at 22:32:16My daughter has LD. She never has been diagnosed with anything but was slow walking, talking and all other age appropriate things. She also has a speech problem, sensory integration disorders, fine motor coordination problems. We have been to a pediatric neurologist. It was a waste of time in my opinion. He made her walk down the hall once, brought her back in the examining room and preceeded to tell us that he could help her, got our hopes up. He gave her a pill for her speech problem ( a muscle relaxer that was supposed to loosen up her muscles) it started with a b baclofen I think. Another medication was a seizure medication tegretol and one more. I can't remember the name of it. He took some blood and dismissed us after charging a fortune. I tried her on the medicine and she was a walking zombie. She was drooling and couldn't hardly stay awake. My pediatrician almost died when he found out the drugs that she was on. Mind you, she had never even had a seizure. My question is the only thing that I can think of that could have caused her delays is that when I was in labor it took her w awhile to turn. Could that have caused it? This always drived me crazy. Is it hereditary. My other two children are fine. It scares me for them to have children. Please answer soon. One child is to be married next June and If there is some testing that needs to be done I'd like to know. Also do you have any recommendations for me to help my daughter. She has such a hard time in school and is not up to her grade level in anything. Way below level--math 1st and 2nd reading 2nd -3rd spelling 3rd and she's 13. Thanks, Ouida Excuse punctuation and capitals It's late and I'm tired.
Posted by HVMA Ph.D. - KDK on July 14, 1999 at 14:43:12 Dear Ouida, Learning Disability (LD) is a broad term that refers to a number of conditions that how a person interprets what they see and hear or how they integrate information from the different parts of their brain. There are different types of learning disability, including academic skills disorders, developmental language and speech disorders, coordination disorders, etc. There is no apparent single cause of learning disabilities. We know that the general cause involves problems (sometimes quite subtle) in the structures and functions of the brain. Can these be inherited? Yes, it's possible. Can the problems occur during pregnancy or delivery? Again, it is possible. But don't be too alarmed about the cause. There's no need to worry about about any children your own children might eventually have, and there is no testing that needs to be done. It's best to concentrate your efforts on obtaining whatever help your 13-year-old requires. Your letter indicates that your daughter is functioning well below her expected grade level in the major subject areas. In the United States, it is required that local school districts provide special educational assistance to children who have been diagnosed with learning disabilites. I assume your daughter is receiving such assistance. With her level of disability, she should probably be instructed in a self-contained classroom setting (operated either by the public school district or by a private organization). I cannot discern from your letter what may have been the rationale for the neurological consultation. The medication (baclofen) that you mentioned is prescribed for a movement disorder called torsion dystonia, which is characterized by such symptoms as gait abnormality, spasticity and difficulty with fine motor coordination in the hands. The condition seems to be related to the functioning of some brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, and baclofen has an impact on those chemicals. Whatever the case, check with the person who referred your daughter to the neurologist to clarify the reason(s) for the referral. Perhaps the pediatrician has a copy of the neurologist's note and can see the findings and the treatment recommendations. Again, try not to worry too much about what might occur in future generations. There's really no need to be unduly alarmed. This information is provided for purposes of general medical education. Please consult your health care providers for diagnostic and treatment options that pertain to your specific situation. *Keyword: Learning Disability, Education, School
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