Environment influences on learning disabilities: A study of malharvillage in udhampur District of J&K State

Although learning disabilities are caused by physiological problems, the extent to which children are widely affected by them is often decided by their environment. Learning disabilities may be often defined as a heterogeneous group of anarchy marked by substantial difficulties in the use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, mathematical abilities. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual and presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction. Even though a learning disability may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions (such as sensory impairment, mental retardation, social and emotional disturbance) or environmental influences (such as cultural differences, insufficient or inappropriate instruction, psychogenic factors), it is not the result of those condition or influences. The environment seldom operates in isolation; many other factors must be in place for a particular exposure to cause the specific damage needed for learning deficits to develop. Why do children differ so much in their progress in the early schools? From this point of view, an investigation was carried out in Jammu region on 15 respondents from Government High school (Malhar village) of Udhampur district, preferably students with low academic performance in the class were selected for the study which were of age between the 11–14 years. Screening test for learning disabilities in three areas such as Dyslexia (Reading disability), Dysgraphia (Writing disability) and Dyscalculia (Mathematical disability) along with Measures of Intelligence test by Catell and Catell were used to detect the learning disability among normal school going children. The teachers and mothers of these children were also interviewed to find out the possible reasons responsible for learning disability. It was observed by the investigator that parents who were not able to provide their children with good resources, proper care, and academic as well as play material suffered from learning disabilities. They also had opinion that due to lack of resources, education and motivation they could not provide their children healthy environment for learning. It was also observed that learning problems have been observed in children for generations, but evidence is mounting that toxins in our highly industrial world are a contributing factor. Many of these conditions affect the nervous system: developmental delays, learning disorders, sensory deficits, autism, and cerebral palsy. Nonetheless, we continue to improve our understanding of how environment exposures can lead to learning disabilities. This knowledge has been instrumental in leading national efforts to reduce exposures to lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, pesticides and other toxicants commencing the environment.