Oh how I agree with what Bindu Vas says in this article. In the U.K. we have been through almost exactly the same thing (why does nobody ever learn from our mistakes?!) The recognition of dyslexia as a genuine problem has been a blessing for the many children who struggle with it and they are no longer labelled as "slow". What is sad is that the "cure" (and prevention) is often so basic; good quality teaching. Around 35 years ago our schools went from teaching reading by sounding out letters to make up words to expecting children to learn complete words. To me it's like trying to biuld a wall without understanding how the bricks fit together. My brother and I both suffer slightly with dyslexia. I learnt to read under the old system and although my spelling was and is poor I had no trouble keeping up with my peers. My brother learnt under the new system and could hardly read and write by the time he started high school at the age of 13. Has there been a similar change in teaching methods in India?
I don't have much knowledge of ADHD etc. The cycnic in me says that a certain amount is bad behaviour by another name, but I would not want to suggest that this is the case in all or even most cases. I think we live in a world with a short attention span; the news shows us a disaster then moves on to the next, the superstar of yesterday is a washed up has-been today. My own pet theory is that it may be partly related to the ultrasound scanning of babies in the womb (as suggested by Dr Doreen Liebeskind), presumably the children of those able to afford private education are more likely to have been scanned. Justine
