More and more children, as well as some adults, are diagnosed with some sort of learning disorder. Are these truly disorders or just normal-but-different? And if they are learning disorders and they’re on the rise, why is this the case and what can be done about it? And what is being done about it, such as medication, that perhaps shouldn’t be?
The most commonly labeled learning disorders are ADD (attention deficit disorder) and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). These can be further broken down into trouble reading (dyslexia), trouble with numbers, trouble concentrating, and others.
Not just for children
ADD and ADHD are usually thought of as childhood issues, but adults can have these problems, too, since they are often not outgrown. Adult ADHD may be more difficult to identify than in children, and usually underdiagnosed, in the absence of such childhood hallmarks as classroom hyperactivity or poor grades.
The silver lining
Sometimes a person with a so-called learning disorder develops a way around what is expected of them. For example, someone who has trouble reading and writing might develop a phenomenal memory since they have trouble with the usual written methods of extracting or remembering information.
Individual differences in learning
Some children may not have patience with the usual school-taught methods of learning because they already have a way of learning that suits them better. Some people take in and retain information better via reading, others via diagrams and illustrations, video, hearing the information, or doing the activity where applicable. This isn’t a problem unless it is defined as one.
(Over)medication
There is medication that helps to calm down hyperactivity and allow the person to be more focused, or at least quieter and more obedient in the classroom. But like all medications, there is potential for side effects, some of which might not surface for decades. Using medication also reinforces the harmful idea that one is somehow not normal.
Let’s first look at whether a particular person actually has a learning disorder or simply a difference in learning style. Then let’s look at why.
Causes of learning disorders
There are legitimate learning disorders with recognized causes, and addressing those causes can help the person to be able to learn better. Some of the most common causes of learning disabilities are chemicals and metals, allergies, diet and nutritional deficiencies, and lack of exercise.
Chemicals and metals
Brain fog, usually caused by chemical overload, may be mistaken for a learning disability since it’s associated with an inability to concentrate and remember.
The symptoms of fluoride toxicity are very similar to the symptoms of ADHD, so fluoride in tap water or toothpaste, or deliberately added to water marketed for babies and children, may be a cause of learning problems.
Exposure to pesticides and solvents – in fact, pretty much every chemical that doesn’t belong in the body – has the potential for interfering with concentration and memory formation and retrieval.
Lead is a metal toxin that is well-documented as a cause of learning problems and mental retardation, as is the metal cadmium. Mercury from dental fillings can interfere with concentration. Chelation of metal from the body can help in these cases.
Allergies
In a good many cases, learning disorders are the result of allergy to something the child is exposed to, and many diets that have been promoted as being the answer to ADHD eliminate the suspected allergens. For this reason, the CAM detox diet is a good place to start; if the child or adult improves on this diet, this is an indication that food allergy is at least part of the problem. Foods can then be introduced back one at a time and ability to learn, concentrate, and sit quietly can be assessed.
Artificial food colors, flavors, and preservatives, rather than foods themselves, can be the cause of allergic reactions. Some successful ADHD diets are based on this knowledge, and they eliminate these additives and promote pure foods.
Diet and nutrition
In addition to allergic reactions to foods or additives, diet in general can be the cause or partial cause of learning disabilities. Sugar is a major culprit. Any teacher of young children can attest to the fact that the day after Halloween is a day in which the children are bouncing off the walls, unable to concentrate or learn, prone to fighting and tears. The whole classroom seems to have a temporary case of ADHD, and sugar consumption at lower concentrations but over time can similarly affect sensitive individuals.
Gluten intolerance is another cause of inattention. It can take up to three months after eliminating gluten to see a difference, so be patient. Dairy is another dietary component that can dull the mind in those who are sensitive to it. Dairy and gluten sensitivity tend to occur together, so if you or your child are sensitive to one, suspect problems with the other.
Diet can affect learning and concentration in another way: not just too much of harmful dietary components, but not enough nutrition. Many children are sent off to school with little or no breakfast or a sugary breakfast, which affects their concentration. Omega-3 oils are crucial for brain function, as are a number of vitamins and minerals.
Studies on dietary modifications have shown mixed results. However, even if studies were to show that “most children” are not helped by such an approach, it is worth trying due to the potential for great benefit for the individual child or adult.
Exercise
Children’s bodies are designed to be active. It is probably no coincidence that as school recess and gym are cut back and eliminated, hyperactivity is on the rise. That energy needs to come out somehow; if not in swinging from the monkey bars then in jumping up and acting out in class.
The bottom line
What might seem like a learning disorder might well just be an individual difference in learning style that is out of step with current educational practice. Such differences should be accepted, even celebrated, rather than labeled a disease and medicated out of existence.
But if there is a learning disability such that it interferes with learning and everyday function, the best approach is to identify the causes and address those. Practitioners at CAM can help with this.
