All play makes a child with learning disability

CHENNAI: Occupational therapists in the city say that Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) among kids can be addressed through activities, like games and sports.Justin Vens from Pebbles Rehabilitation Center for Children, Chennai, has said that the therapists select the child’s desired activities and focus on them. “These 5-minute activities improve attention span. It’s gradually increased to 10 minutes during the weekly sessions,” he was quoted as saying in Medindia.com, a health website providing services to both healthcare consumers and the medical professionals. Children with ADD lack cognitive skills such as attention, concentration, memory, judgement, logical thinking and abstract thinking.Vens also said that the rapport with the child was used as a medium to create interest in activities like academics, which the child usually avoided. “Kids with ADD find calculations difficult and have a problem with maths, writing and reading. Parents complain that the child won’t remain seated to study or do their homework,” he said. If a child, for example, did not like to write, he or she would be made to write on sand, draw images and then would be made to draw on mirrors with paint. “We ask the child to write its own name, names of parents and school. The writing will not be consistent; so we draw lines and allow the child to write within those boundaries. This helps in space orientation.” Outdoor activities, especially sports, and social interaction are  also important. The more children play, the more their brain will be active. When the brain gets a workout, their learning skills, listening skills, logical thinking, attention and concentration would improve.The commitment of parents towards the child would be prime, Vens adds. The underlying message is clear: If your child is not learning well, take him to the playground. All play and less work is sure to make him smart.