Dyscalculia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Dyscalculia - Essay Example The Math equivalent of Dyslexia. So what exactly is Dyscalculia and how can educators help ease the stress of the learning disability on the student diagnosed with the handicap? The National Center for Learning Disabilities defines Dyscalculia as â€Å"a term referring to a wide range of life-long learning disabilities involving math. There is no single form of math disability, and difficulties vary from person to person and affect people differently in school and throughout life â€Å" (NCLD, 2006). The 2006 NCLD report indicated that Dyscalculia is a learning problem that can be spotted in a child at a very young age. Some of the symptoms of Dyscalculia include â€Å" Difficulty in recalling numbers, trouble with the concept of time, poor sense of direction, poor mental math ability, and difficulty in playing strategy games of any sort†. (NCLD, 2006) Their research also pointed out that teachers have the duty to help any of their students whom they suspect of having Dyscalculia by identifying the student and moving him to an Inclusive Classroom setting in order to insure that the child will not feel the pressures of having to keep up in the Math lessons of the rest of the class before he is ready to do so. (NCLD, 2006) This is something that should not be difficult to do since the teachers can use a specially designed assessment test on possible Dyscalculia students in order to confirm their suspicions as educators. It is highly important that students suffering from Dyscalculia be moved to an inclusive classroom setting before their fear of math sets in. This is to insure that the child will not unconsciously reject any form of help in Math studies that is offered to him in the form of tutorials. Even though the illness is not one that is curable, Steinbach and Doughty (2008) reported that it could still be possible for students with Dyscalculia to lead normal educational lives provided the full court press of educators, tutors, and parents exists in

Coexisting Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Coexisting Disorders - Essay Example According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, methamphetamine is classified as a Schedule II drug, which implies that the drug can be obtained only through a medical prescription and has high probability of abuse and addiction. It is chemically similar to its parent compound, amphetamine, but its effects are more conspicuous. It is prescribed medically under the name of Desoxyn for the treatment of severe Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Narcolepsy and extreme cases of obesity. Methamphetamine, primarily affects the brain, stimulating an increase in the secretion of the neurotransmitter, dopamine. This neurotransmitter acts as a chemical messenger and is responsible for the experience of pleasure and stimulation of motor activities. It also alters the level of serotonin, another neurotransmitter. Both these properties make this drug potentially dangerous. It can alter moods, cause depression, lead to violent tendencies and suicidal thoughts. It is also the root cause of other psychotic ailments like hallucinations, paranoia and delusional behavior. Medical studies have also shown that chronic use of methamphetamine can lead to damaging changes in the structure of the brain, mostly affecting the areas responsible for emotion and memory (Thompson et al). Besides the nervous system, the drug can also have detrimental implications on the basic metabolisms of the body. It increases the heart rate, elevates blood pressure, increases the rate of respiration and a lso causes hyperthermia. Long term can use can cause extreme weight loss, insomnia and severe dental problems. The drug is also known to possess aphrodisiac qualities, and thus, it leads to impulsive sexual behavior. The hazardous drug can be snorted, swallowed, inhaled, dissolved in water, injected, but the most common method of administration is oral intake. Fatal diseases like Hepatitis B and C, and HIV/AIDS can also be transmitted through the use of infected needles and syringes, commonly used to inject the drug. Similar to many other abused drugs, methamphetamine users get an adrenaline rush coupled with an extreme sense of pleasure. It stimulates the senses, increases concentration and also leads to sexually charged behavior. According to the National Institute On Drug Abuse, methamphetamine abuse continues to be a massive problem in the United States of America, and is reportedly spreading to Mexico and also to the Midwest. According to a survey conducted by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), approximately 10.4 million people over the age of 12 have tried methamphetamine at least once. Use of methamphetamine in abusive quantities is known to cause depression and mental anxiety. A recent study conducted by The Methamphetamine Treatment Project evaluated the psychological condition within a group of 1016 people, all methamphetamine users. A staggering 60% of the women and 50% of the men exhibited strong symptoms of depression. Close to 28% women and 13% men attempted or persistently thought about suicide. Their mental conditions had deteriorated to such extremes that 26& had to be admitted in the psychiatry wing while 32% were administered medications. (Zweben et al.) Biologically, depression is defined as a psychological disorder, which is characterized by persistent sadness, withdrawal from daily and social activities, and inability to feel pleased and happy. It is normal for every