[DanielSlack]

"Nothing renders a man so powerless as losing faith in ones self." Daniel Slack

We hear it on the news, and yet we do not know how react. We are flooded with statistics and facts about a number of growing problems in young people, but parents, teachers, and government officials seem at odds on what to do about it. Stories like:

"In the United States, the prevalence of overweight among children increased between 1980 and 2004, and the heaviest children have been getting heavier,"

"Studies have reported that up to 2.5 percent of children and up to 8.3 percent of adolescents in the U.S. suffer from depression . An NIMH-sponsored study of 9- to 17-year-olds estimates that the prevalence of any depression is more than 6 percent in a 6-month period, with 4.9 percent having major depression. In addition, research indicates that depression onset is occurring earlier in life today than in past decades."

"Experts suggest that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects an estimated 5 to 8 percent of school-aged children and one to seven percent of adults."

"Reading and Math Test Scores Decline Sharply Last year, the Board of Education reported that 49.6 percent of New York City schoolchildren were reading at or above the level of students across the country. But yesterday, Dr. Crew said only 44.6 percent of students were reading at grade level. Math scores declined even more sharply -- falling by about 10 percentage points -- and third-grade scores in both reading and math declined more than in any other grade."

These statistics reflect problems that have been "officially diagnosed", there are probably thousands of kids that have developed their own skills to make do with the situation, that escape diagnosis. Not necessarily organized or efficient skills, but functional all the same.

What is a parent to do? How can a teacher really improve the learning curve? Are there any laws that can be enacted that would help improve our children's health, mentally and physically? I say yes there is.

This series reviews the ways children learn, how diet and exercise effect learning, how behaviors effect learning, and what positive steps adults could do to improve the situation for the children.

Types of Learning

To really understand the nature of the problem, we have to look at how a child learns and grows. Each child learns a little differently. Do not think that the way you learned growing up is the same way your child learns.
Though every child has the capacity to learn with all styles of instruction, each child has strengths and weaknesses giving rise to the need to identify the most capable style for that student.

There are three ways that children learn:

Visual Learners

This learner must see it. Fuller understanding comes if they can see the lesson in a picture, on a chalkboard, video, or if they can follow along in the textbook. This type of person remembers things in mental pictures. He can always remember someone's face, even if he has met them only briefly, but may forget names more easily. Adults with this learning style get more from a lectures if visual aids are used, or if they take notes. For the visual learner, having access to reading material would fill their minds, and competent instruction would further support this type of learner. Being able to read about various subject material allows the child to take great independence on what he learns, how he learns and the author of the content he reads from.

In fact, visual learners tend to recall things based on a more optical character memory. These types of learners can close their eyes and literally see the pages of the book, the words contained, and often recite them with ease. They tend to be more analytical, excelling in theoretical science, history and math.

It is this type of instruction that most school systems are tuned to, due to the fact that text books are an inexpensive way to promote learning. It also requires less preparation for the teacher, as well. There is no need to make further investment of time and money because all the information needed is available in the texts. These children can easily grasp the concepts of theoretical and practical that is presented. Unfortunately, because the school systems focus so much in this type of instruction, leaves those children who learn other ways as a disadvantage.

Auditory Learners

This type of learner enjoys listening to stories being read. They can easily memorize words to songs by listening to the song. You can explain new maths concepts to the child without writing anything down. Tell him how to spell a word and he has no problem recalling the spelling that word. Children in this category can listen to a lecture and retain what has been taught.

The advantage of this type of learning are the gains from class interaction. Reading out loud, interactive discussion, and debate bring enlightenment to the subject matter. These children are also flexible to theories. They tend to be able to way the advantages and disadvantages more easily. They formulate opposing opinions more readily, not to be disagreeable, but so that they can consider all sides of the issue.

The disadvantage in this type of learning is not limited to only the need of additional effort put forward by teachers. The teacher also needs to realize that the questions that seem so contradictory are not to disrespect, but to take into account all points of view and theories in regards to the subject material.

These types of learners tend to be considered "late bloomers" scholastically. Often excelling on the college level because of the various lectures that many instructors offer. Tactile Learners

Tactile Learners

A tactile learner is great at working with his hands. The child loves to discover by exploring or by doing. History comes alive to this child if he can go to sites of significance and "get a feel" for what is being taught first hand. Science can be his strength if it is hands-on, and not just regurgitating a textbook full of facts. The conceptualization of the abstract can be problematic, but is often overcome with examples of practical application. These types of learners are at a disadvantage in todays school system.

This type of person is an experiential learner and highly adaptable to an ever changing environment. This type of learner also is "immediately sighted", gaining advantage on immediate need and immediate reaction. They can be very engineering oriented. They look at life's problems and take an organized, step by step approach to find a solution. They apply what seems to be "common sense" solutions, based upon an almost puzzle component type logic.

At one time, the tactile learner would have had the ability to go into an apprentice program to learn the skills necessary not only for a profession but also to succeed in life. As apprentices they would comprehend, strive hard, and excel at the skills being taught to them.

In this day and age, school systems are scaling back the practical experiences necessary for these types of learners. Losing courses like metal shop. welding, carpentry, and even home economics are hindering the best way that some of these children can learn. Instead of taking the responsibility for our children to become constructive members of society, school systems are relying on businesses to train these children. In the past, this would have been unacceptable, due to the over specialization that many businesses require for their practices. Young adults are losing the general knowledge that would normally allow them to make a lateral occupational transition. In my life, I have a rule I live by, that our school systems are not teaching:

"Over specialization is the road to obsolescence."

Children are often being diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder or Learning Disabilities. These tags not only categorize the child unnecessarily, but give rise to reasons why teachers should not change their teaching methods. By saying a child is disabled takes away the responsibility from the adults trying to instruct the child.

When we, as a society, can recognize the different ways learning occurs, then children will lose the feelings of being outcast, inadequate, and different.

"Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily."~Thomas Szasz

In my next article, we will cover the subject of Paying Attention. What it is, how we learn to, and what part our emotion play in it.

[Likethewind7]

Nice article that you wrote! You expressed that all modes of learning are acceptable but simply different and this is so true. With 3 of my own children, I noted that they used a combination of all modes but relied more on the traditional visual approach to learning. A third child perplexed me as although he used all modes of learning...each day and each subject and each teacher changed his needs! As he grew he was able to explain to me how he processed new information and this helped me tremendously. I was able to come up with ways to present new ideas but it was a hit and miss kind of thing. Most teachers didn't have the time or motivation to focus on his needs. Later he became very adept at learning independently. He was diagnosed this and that but depression was missed completely. Missed by everyone including myself. How could I know when he was so happy and at peace when we spent time together and we spent a great deal of time together due to his learning problems. Why was depression missed? How could this happen?? He was and is such a freespirit and full of energy and love and wanting adventure...full of faith and dreams and goals! But depression was missed by the doctors, the school , family and myself. I who knew this child better than anyone missed it. How did this happen?

[DanielSlack]

Originally Posted by Likethewind7

Nice article that you wrote! You expressed that all modes of learning are acceptable but simply different and this is so true. With 3 of my own children, I noted that they used a combination of all modes but relied more on the traditional visual approach to learning. A third child perplexed me as although he used all modes of learning...each day and each subject and each teacher changed his needs! As he grew he was able to explain to me how he processed new information and this helped me tremendously. I was able to come up with ways to present new ideas but it was a hit and miss kind of thing. Most teachers didn't have the time or motivation to focus on his needs. Later he became very adept at learning independently. He was diagnosed this and that but depression was missed completely. Missed by everyone including myself. How could I know when he was so happy and at peace when we spent time together and we spent a great deal of time together due to his learning problems. Why was depression missed? How could this happen?? He was and is such a freespirit and full of energy and love and wanting adventure...full of faith and dreams and goals! But depression was missed by the doctors, the school , family and myself. I who knew this child better than anyone missed it. How did this happen?

Depression: Why Couldn't I Detect My Child's?
By Daniel Slack
“Concern should drive us into action, not into depression.”~Karen Horney
I would like to address a problem in todays society that is going unnoticed. The problem is that parents are feeling overwhelmed and underqualified to raise their kids. They feel guilty when symptoms go unnoticed. They feel guilty when their own children are finally diagnosed with any number of issues.

The problem is uniquely described in the above post

LikeTheWind, you asked:

"He was and is such a free spirit and full of energy and love and wanting adventure...full of faith and dreams and goals! But depression was missed by the doctors, the school , family and myself. I who knew this child better than anyone missed it. How did this happen?"

Let me tell you something, you missed the signs of depression because he did not have any when he was around you or anyone else.

Think of it this way. Your child went through life feeling happy, like everyone else. As he grew, his personality developed into the beautiful person he uniquely is. He found the best ways for him to experience life. He learned which senses gave him the best tasting from the table that is our world.
(See my article “Americas Children: How They Learn And How We Can Make It Better)
Newsvine - America's Children, How They Learn, and How We Can Make Teaching Better. Part 1

As children, we start off life with a very egocentric view. Children believe “I experience things like everyone else. Everyone else experiences things just like me.” When he entered school, he discovered he learned differently from the majority of children. He sits in school trying to grasp abstract concepts that seem like common sense to the other children and teachers around him.

Your child starts to question concepts about himself. If I can not learn like everyone else is learning, what else is wrong with me. He feels ignorant, stupid, inadequate, and powerless. This develops into a complex cycle of low self-esteem, frustration, and depression. Eventually, he starts feeling more and more outcast, more alone, more different.

Unfortunately, in this situation, children have two strike against them. The first strike is that children are still developing their language skills. They are just learning how to use language, so expressing complex feelings can be problematic. A child can say to you “I hurt,” “I feel bad,” or “I am sad,” but this does little to really explain the who, what, when, where, and why of emotion.

The second strike is that children are impulsive by nature. We see this all the time. Put a candy bar on the table and leave the room. Unless he has been taught a certain etiquette, your child will grab the candy bar. As a child, you only feel the need and fill the need immediately, not realizing that temporary satiation of the need will not mean it is solved forever. As adults, we learn the benefits of time management and planning.

The only times he does not feel “his need” is when he is around people who are doing things he can understand. Whether it is with his family or friends, he finds that he feels better about himself, better about life, as long as he is not isolated or alone. Your closeness, your intimacy, your love helped shelter him from these negative feelings that were evolving.

But no man can be around people all the time. When he goes to bed at night, fears may start to set in. He may feel so worthless that he does not see why anyone would bother with him, should bother with him. He would reflect on the mistakes of the day, instead of taking pride on the accomplishments. He would get frustrated about himself, then fellow students and teachers, that would lead to frustration with friends, then family, then back to himself.
*
Ultimately, instead of living life anymore, he begins to just wait for death. Sure there will be spurts of happiness intermixed into his existence, but everything he sees will be tainted.

People around him will be only there to abandon him eventually.
Things most would value, he does not care for or gives away, because they will get broken or stolen anyway.
The places he used to love no longer interest him because they remind him of happiness he can no longer experience because it is in the past.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;”~Proverbs 3:5 NIV

Professional intervention is very important, but not for the reasons many people think. Not necessarily because someone has studied the human mind for years, or looked at the behaviors of monkeys and apply them to humanity. The main reason professional intervention is important is because it is objective. Objectivity is key because the human heart is very deceptive. As the child dealing with issues, as parents dealing with the child, we often have egocentric tunnel vision. A professional can look at things from a non-partial outside point of view, without the taint of emotional interference. What we perceive as good action, with the purest intention, it can back fire and inflame a situation.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”~Jeremiah 17:9 NIV

If there is not professional intervention, it may drive a wedge in his and your relationship. He learns the only way to feel right is if he has company around, but at the same time, his bitterness will have crept into his personality and*driven friends and family away.*He may turn to drugs, and his addiction is not really to the chemicals he is ingesting. His addiction is for anything that will keep him feeling comfortable with himself around others.

I recommend you read this article I wrote on Shame and the one on Pride, it may help you understand the self esteem issue, as well.

Newsvine - Shame

Newsvine - The Who, What, And How Of Pride: If We Truly Understand Ourselves, Then We Can Start To Understand Others.

Also, if you need to advice, or just to vent about the issue, feel free to contact me,

"You may be a horrible cook, but you are a wonderful friend"~ Kenneth (about Daniel Slack)

I hope that puts a little more insight to his experience in your life.
“To be lonely is to be depressed, to have a friend brings happiness!”~Unknown

Daniel Slack