SUMMARY OF PROJECT SARTHI

WORKSHOP ON 8th FEB

Learning Disabilities, ADHD and Peer Support
Network

– By Thwisha Bajpai

Name of student- Kanak

College Name- Indraprastha College of Women

Learning Disabilities, ADHD and Peer Support Network

– By Thwisha Bajpai

TOPICS COVERED IN THE WORKSHOP:-

➔ What is Learning?
➔ Understanding Neurodevelopment tools and skills
➔ Learning Difficulties: Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia
➔ Understanding ADHD & Executive Functions
➔ Neurodiversity and its impact on Mental Health
➔ How can we foster Peer Support?

The workshop first covered the discussion around what is Learning. According to the Oxford
Dictionary learning is defined as gaining knowledge or skills by studying, from the experience,
from being taught, etc. Learning is defined both by the external and internal factors of an
individual. Learning can be perceived to be a simple process but it actually is a complex process.
Then the concept of neurodevelopment was discussed. Neurodevelopment is the brain’s ability
to develop the pathways responsible for the normal functioning of the brain’s ability to learn,
focus, develop memories and social skills. Every activity of an individual contributes to the
neurodevelopment process. This is a lifespan process and unique to everyone. The picture of the
toolbox that was shown during the workshop was an example in order to understand the process
of neurodevelopment. We all encounter different problems in our lives, in such a situation we
tend to cling towards our toolbox to deal with the problem. A proper selection of tools is
necessary to complete the particular agenda. But we all have different types of tools box to
perform the task. We often learn to perform tasks with our own tool box.
The basic crux of this example was that every individual has a different neurodevelopmental
tools.

The basic Neurodevelopment Tools that are common to all individuals are Attention, Memory,
Language, Spatial, Sequential, Motor, Higher-order Thinking, and Social Thinking. Then Ms.
Bajpai discussed Neurodiversity. She highlighted that every individual has differences, not
deficits because every child is wired and inspired differently.

Specific Learning Disorder is the disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes
involved in understanding or in the use of language, spoken, or written impairment. These may
manifest as an inability to listen, speak, read, spell, or do mathematical calculations. According
to DSM-V criteria, special learning disorders are categorized into 3 different types i.e. Dyslexia,
Dysgraphia, and Dyscalculia. Dyslexia is a specific impairment in reading. It is a Language
based processing disorder that can manifest as difficulties in writing, reading, spelling, verbal
communications, or comprehension. Such individuals find it difficult in connecting letters to
sound (phonetics), recognizing words, reading fluently, and comprehend the meaning. Whereas
Dysgraphia is a specific impairment in written expression. It is a learning disability that affects
writing- involvement of motor as well as information processing skills. Such as difficulty with
poor handwriting, spelling, missing or incorrect punctuation and capabilities, or putting thoughts
on paper. As writing processes are dependent on memory, motor skills, executive functions like
attention, language, and higher-order thinking and semantics, individuals with dysgraphia may
have difficulty in such functions. Dyscalculia is a specific impairment in mathematics. People
with this disorder have difficulty in understanding the meaning of signs, accurate or fluent
calculations, translating word problems to numerical form, number reversals, or jumbling and
analyzing and solving math problems of various complexity. These disorders depend upon the
learning style of an individual. Every individual has different learning styles. There are three
types of learning styles i.e. visual, auditory, and kinesthetic. Visual Learning is with the help of
graphs, illustrations, pictures, etc. Auditory learning is through conversations, group discussions,
or oral presentations. While kinesthetic learning is through hands-on activities, role-playing,
note-taking, meetings, etc.

ADHD is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder. Focusing towards the history of a ADHD
disorder, hippocrates noticed that some patients who could not keep their focus on any one thing
for long and has exceptionally quick reactions to things around them. Where in 1798 sir
Alexander Crichton, a Scottish physician talked about the “disease of attention”. John Locke
wrote an essay on “some thoughts concerning education” on students who could not keep their
Mind from straying. In 1880’s Medical textbook refer to conditions as “nervous child”; “mental
instability” and unstable nervous system which popularized others attention on disorder of
ADHD. There are a lot of Myths around the disorder of ADHD some of them are girls have
lower rate and less severe ADHD than boys, adults are not diagnosed with ADHD and
everybody has a little ADHD. Inattention means tendency to be distracted by external or
internal world, zoning out and not listening when spoken to, reluctance in engage in tasks which
requires sustained mental effort, increased focus on high interest areas, difficulty in remembering
and following instructions and difficulty in initiating and getting started on tasks. People who
are Hyperactive often fidgets with or taps hand or feet or squirm in seat, they often leaves seat
in situation when remain seated is expected, often runs about or climbs in a situation where it is
not appropriate, often unable to play or take part in leisure activities quietly, is often “on the go”
acting as if “driven by a motor”, often talks excessively. This disorder has impact across
development while it majorly impact the Junior school and till adulthood its impact level
decreases because the individual start to learn to adapt with this disorder. In the workshop we
also discussed about ADHD in adults in which were focused on anxiety induced attention versus
attension induced attention, it's compensatory mechanism and it's intersectionality. A person can
pass ADHD to their offsprings as almost there is 50% possibility of passing through genes while
ADHD is not an academic disorder it is based on the dopamine hypothesis.

Ms. Bajapai also discussed about ADHD Iceberg and cleared that what people think of ADHD
is only trouble focusing and fidgeting while ADHD is actually difficulty in maintaining
relationships, depression, mood swings, sleeping problems and a variety of other problems.

Fostering the Peer support requires inclusive and safe spaces. To help such people we can help
them break free from labels like lazy, clumsy, stupid and careless. We can provide them with
lived experiences and give them inside knowledge which help them build and retain agency. We
can be their support systems and also we can ask them share their personal thoughts and
experiences because what we often hear becomes our inner voice. We can help such individuals
by providing them safe space, listening, buddy pairs, study groups, audio readers and identifying
learning styles. They also require extra time, diversity in subjects, dyslexia friendly font,
flexibility in modalities, individualized education plans, flexibility in assessment modalities, and
respecting the uniqueness of each skill set.

After this discussion the workshop came to an end!