Jan 31, 2014 01:24 PM
36204 Views
(Updated Jul 26, 2014 09:02 AM)
I took my four year old son to Dr Radha Rajpal at the beginning of 2013. I suspected he had either autism or ADHD but wasn’t sure. It was frustrating as many said he was just’spirited’. I knew they meant well but I felt this minimised the problem. I knew he was too young to diagnose formally but it was not until I met Dr Radha that I realised that my relationship with my son was powerful and that I was getting many things right for which I wasn’t giving myself credit. Schools are not often geared up for the inclusion of children with learning disabilities. Beyond the usual runs of tests,
I appreciate that Dr Radha gave me the courage to do further reading and trust in my own instinct. Her timings were flexible during difficult periods and she was responsive to setbacks which I really appreciated. It would be good if more specialists asked the difficult questions: how can we make life really inclusive for children with learning disabilities, not just academically but also socially. My son was one of the lucky ones who was not left to fall through the cracks.