ADD and ADHD Children Benefit From Learning to Read Early

Many children with ADD/ADHD have language development skills that are weak.  They also find it more difficult to communicate effectively to others what they want and become more easily frustrated because of that.  When frustration sets in, they start daydreaming or acting out.  It is difficult to recognize AD(H)D in infants.  The reason for its development at all is uncertain.  There are many factors suspected in playing a role in the disorder.  Until we rule out the erroneous reasons, we cannot know how to prevent it.  The best we can do at this point is ameliorate it.  One of the ways of doing so is by increasing the child’s ability to communicate.

Language learning is best done when a child is younger than 4 years of age.  After 4 years of age, the myelin (material that insulates neurons) has finished much of its growth, making it more difficult to learn languages.

The longer it takes to get a child started into reading, the harder it is for the child to learn to read.  This is a major point of early learning centers (daycare/preschool).  Any good daycare will not just allow the children to play with toys, but will have helpers sit down with the children for story time.  Any attentive mother (or father) who cares about her/his children should do this at home as well.  The material being read is not as important at earlier ages as much as that the children are seeing a connection between written words and sounds.  In other words, feel free to read the business section of the newspaper aloud to your young child.  It might even help them become business tycoons as adults.  But if you do that you must, and I mean must, do so in a silly voice to keep the child’s attention.  (said with a wink)

Note:  For more on myelin and brain development in normal infants and toddlers search for a study by:  Jonathan O’Muircheartaigh, Douglas C. Dean III, Holly Dirks, Nicole Waskiewicz, Katie Lehman, Beth A. Jerskey, and Sean C.L. Deoni, all of either Brown University or King’s College London.  Or read the press release at: http://news.brown.edu/pressreleases/2013/10/language