Postnatal Toxic Effects
The neurological, psychological, intellectual, learning, and behavioral effects of environmental toxins after birth have been well documented. Among these toxins are lead, arsenic, aluminum, cadmium, carbon monoxide, mercury, radiation, chemotherapy, illicit drugs, and solvents used in paint, glue, and cleaning solutions. Parents carry home some of these toxins on their clothing, from work or hobbies (such as stained glass work or furniture refinishing). Other toxins contaminate children through such means as pesticides, air pollution, and drugs. There has been many a heartbreak as children permanently damage their brains with licit or illicit drugs, and they are no longer the same individuals they once were. As educators, we must be aware of how toxins can impair students' development and work with parents, students, and the community to reduce the dangers that result from drug abuse, industrial hazards, and environmental pollution.
Food Allergies
It's estimated that 60 to 80 percent of individuals are allergic to at least one food. Reactions to the food may range from a mild stomachache or headache to hives and a full-blown asthma attack. Food additives (artificial colorings, flavors, preservatives), in particular, have been scrutinized as allergens related to learning disorders, especially hyperactivity. There also are reports of hyper activity after ingesting aspirin and salicylates (natural aspirinlike compounds in fruits and vegetables). Benjamin Feingold's diet, which eliminates all food additives and salicylates, has been recommended to reduce hyperactivity in children sensitive to these substances. Well-controlled studies, however, have concluded that only a very small group of hyperactive preschool children appear to respond to food additives with deteriorations in learning, behavior, and eye-hand coordination. Most children show no improvement in attention or learning when on Feingold's diet, and behavioral improvements are only slightly better than what might be expected by chance. The research concludes that although a very small group of hyperactive preschoolers can be helped by eliminating food additives and salicylates from their diets, the favorable effects reported by parents for other children are probably due to heightened expectations, increased attention to the child, and better nutritional status.
Nonfood Allergies
Despite case reports linking nonfood allergies to learning disabilities, well-designed studies have not found that more youngsters with LD suffer from allergies. Most experts conclude that allergies aggravate rather than cause learning disabilities. After all, it's hard to concentrate and do your best work when you are coughing, itching, sniffling, wheezing, didn't get a good night's sleep, and your ears are stuffed due to pollen, dust, or animal dander in the air. Ironically, the side effects of some allergy medicines may themselves complicate learning by making the child inattentive, dizzy, restless, lethargic, irritable, or hyperactive. Evidence supports the use of desensitization therapies to help students become sufficiently comfortable to attend to instruction, but the learning disability won't disappear as a result of the therapy.
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