The various body systems need to be integrated for effective learning, and problems in one area may be linked to another. The first time this became clear to me was when a teacher and colleague asked me to do a program in Sydney with a child who she suspected had auditory processing issues, as well as some behavioural problems. Our programs ran each day from 10 til 4pm, with a one-hour lunch break in the middle. On the first morning I noticed that Katie was not as enthusiastic as the other children gathered for programs. Throughout the morning she would not engage socially and had difficulty making eye contact. She did, however, do well in the initial paired words auditory test (in which I say pairs of similar words – tub tug, web wed, lease leash – and the student repeats them). This test tells us whether people have trouble distinguishing sounds or instructions. Katie did not appear to have difficulty, repeating all three columns of words with few errors.
Katie’s teacher had completed Jim’s course with me and she was adept at picking up processing difficulties. Why were they not clear to me? Confused, I mentioned the situation to Jim. ‘Try the paired words again first thing after lunch,’ Jim replied, with a knowing smile.
Immediately after lunch, I tried the paired words exercise once again, with Katie’s mother and Jim observing. Katie struggled with the first column of words and began to fatigue halfway through the second. By the time we reached the third column, Katie was becoming defiant. She then had a complete meltdown, crying and shouting. Her mother was apologetic; yet her teacher did not seem at all surprised.
Jim calmed Katie down (in the way only Jim could) and asked her gently, ‘What did you have for lunch, Katie?’ Katie’s mother looked abashed and explained that, because they’d had a long trip into the city, and it was the weekend, Katie had been allowed a treat – a burger, ice-cream and fizzy drink. She had had a healthy breakfast of muesli and fruit. Jim explained that while some children seem hardly affected by sugary food, others are not so lucky. Junk food (or even just foods that are not easily digestible) affects their gut and compromises their behaviour – and even their ability to learn. I have heard Jim say countless times that before efficient learning can occur, the gut needs to be sorted. We organised an appointment for Katie that very day, to see a renowned Sydney naturopath. Katie now takes specially prepared gut tonic, with magnesium, calcium and potassium which the ears need to work. Suffice to say that junk food is sometimes more of a punishment than a treat!
In some cases a child may have auditory processing problems that affect how their language develops, as they cannot process certain frequencies effectively. In other cases a child may have a latency problem, where one ear functions differently to the other and this can cause major central processing difficulties. These processing difficulties can lead to problems with language. The inability to isolate individual sounds from background noise can affect motor planning. If background noise constantly disturbs and cannot be blocked out it becomes very hard for a child to operate efficiently – especially in a classroom. In any of these cases it would be possible to begin occupational therapy, speech therapy, alternative movement programs, focusing programs – and yet get very limited results.
