When a child learns poorly in school, he is often called lazy, stupid, or stubborn. A physician, if consulted, will check for visual or hearing defects, physical illness, and mental retardation. Finding none of these, he may advise the parents to use old-fashioned discipline, consult a psychiatrist, or try a different school. Recently some neurologists and pediatricians are recognizing that many children have specific learning difficulties, probably related to inconspicuous neurological defects.
Typically, the child with learning defects is considered normal until he enters school, although his parents may have noted unusual restlessness and late talking. When he starts school, his troubles begin. He doesn't learn to read and write. Instead of receiving the praise and approval his classmates get, he is scolded, made to feel that he is "bad," "dumb," or both. Not receiving recognition for academic success, he engages in mischievous, attention-getting behavior. This combined with his restlessness