First, I want to thank you for choosing this topic. I have a child ages 4 year old, he didn’t speak till now, and he is different from other children who are his age, I mean he is hyperactive, he is a bit behind them but not v much. The doctor told me, the problem is that he is hyperactive, so we should try behavioral change first. We’ve tried that for a whole year, and I see no change. We made Electroencephalography (EEG), and CT scan and both of them are normal. I went to more than a specialty, pediatrician, psychologist. What do you recommend? Taking into consideration that I’m living in Egypt, and I can not afford expensive care centers.
Answer
Dear Hanan,
Thank you for your email. I wonder if your son does not speak at all, or if he is speaking but not at an age appropriate level? If he is not speaking at all then you should first get his hearing checked before you think of hyperactivity. If he is speaking but an immature kind of speech then I suggest he could be developmentally delayed. He may need speech therapy to help with that. As for hyperactivity unfortunately many doctors like to use the term sometimes innappropriately. He could be hyperactive because he is bored or frustrated. You could have him assessed at one of the centres specialized in assessment and there are some centres that are not too expensive. All the best
Name
Rana
- Qatar
Profession
Question
Are there any rehabilitation programs for the parents of mentally disabled children to educate them and help them with their children?
Answer
Yes, there are some centres that offer periodic courses for parents to support them in helping their children. These centres exist in Egypt, United Arab Emirates,Saudi Arabia and other countries.
Name
Huda
- Algeria
Profession
Question
What is your viewpoint about putting those children in a care center and take them home only in weekends?
Answer
I personally do not agree to this idea. This is because, the child needs to feel that he'she is a part of the family whether having disabilities or not. Family members need to feel that too. Another reason is that the more we put children with disabilities in a natural environment the better they get, because our aim for these children should be that they are able to live normally within their society. It is unfair, and inhumane to put them away and then assume they will be able to fit in during the weekend. An ideal situation is that to prepare the child with or without disabilities to be able to live in the community independently and to find their roles in life. And doing that earlier is always better. Good luck
Name
Salma
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Profession
Question
I suspect my child's Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). I had focusing problems myself as a child that led to school troubles and faliurs. I want my child to make the best out of his school classes. is this possible?
Answer
There is a possibility that your child has some focusing problems like you did as a child but the solution is not to call it ADD and that's it. It would be better to talk to his teachers first, if you feel they do not understand, look for a school that would support him better. The most important features of the school are small sized classes because a child who is easily distracted will get more distracted in a class of 30 kids as compared to a class of 15 kids. You may also think of hiring a support teacher (sometimes called a shadow teacher) whose role would only be to help him keep on track. All the best
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
Regarding children with learning disabilities, can they learn with other children in the same classes, or separate ones?
Answer
I totally believe that children with learning disabilities should be taught in the same schools and the same classes as children with no learning disabilities. Studies have proved that "Inclusion" is beneficial not only for children with disabilities but also for children with no disabilities. They all learn better.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
What are the signs that should make the mother skeptical that her child has any mental disorder?
Answer
This is a good question. Every child is different. It is very important that the mother should never compare her child to other people's children or to his/her own brothers and sisters. Every child is unique. However, it is expected that most children will have utterred at least one word by the first year, will have sat up independently at the age of 8 months, will have walked by the age of 18 months. If a child can talk but has not walked there is nothing to worry about. Mothers should start to worry if there is a delay in all the areas mentioned above, no speech no sitting up, no movement no crawling, no walking. At this point she has to start worrying and she should go to her Pediatrician and he/she will advice her or refer her to another doctor.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
What is your advice to the parents of the children?
Answer
I assume you mean parents of children with disabilities. If so, they should be patient and at the same time they should try to treat them as they would do with any child without disabilities. They should make it their goal in life. To do their best until their children become independent and fully functioning members of society.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
Are there certain ways or examinations to know whether or not a child has a learning disability?
Answer
Yes there are some assessment methods that can assess whether a child has a learning disability or not at assessment centres.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
Can autism be induced, or is it a genetic disorder?
Answer
The origin of autism is not known till now,though they suspect it is a disorder that happens because of a chemical imblalnce of the brain chemicals. There are varying degrees of autism and it is believed not to be genetic.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
Are there alternative therapies to autism, or certain things that can be done by the parents besides the conventional treatment?
Answer
First of all, early intervention is very important. The key element is to improve communication skills for the autistic child. Make sure to respect his routines but at the same time have him educated at "mainstream" schools so that some of the idiosyncratic behaviors can be lessened or even disappear, make sure he enters schools that are not too crowded so that he is encouraged to make contact with other kids.
Name
Editor
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Profession
Question
It is sometimes said that certain diets help autistic children. Is this true?
Answer
I heard this, but there is no scientific proof yet. But definitiely cutting down on sweets and artifical colors and flavors definitely helps children with Autism or Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).
Name
Imam
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Profession
Question
Are there specialized websites that can help the family of disabled children with information and/or counselling?
Answer
Recently there has been a website launched by Seti center regarding inclusive education and you may find useful information there, the site is www.inclusive-education.seti-center.com.
Name
Mona
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Profession
Question
My son is 2 years old, he like to play alone rather than mingling with other children, can I consider this a sign that he might be autistic?
Answer
No, this is not necessarily a sign of autism. There are many other signs, does he look you in the eye when he talks to you? does he talk like a "normal" 2 year old? does he behave in any unusual way?
Maybe he just likes to play alone, actually this is normal for 2 year old child. After the age of 3, children start to enjoy playing with others especially after they start nursery school and they learn how to share. Do not worry.
Name
hammed
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Profession
Question
One of my friends has a mentally retarded child, and I don't know how to treat him, as showing sympathy is sometimes misunderstood. What do you recommend?
Answer
The best thing is to treat the child as normally as you can do not show extra attention or sympathy because this will hurt his parents' feelings, but do not ignore him. Try to treat him as you would if he did not have any kind of disability, in a friendly way but not too friendly. All the best
