Children with learning disabilities are not different from other kids. They just need to be handled differently.

This was the unanimous view of experts at the inaugural day of the two-day national workshop, Learning Disabilities in School Children, organised by Women’s Training College on its premises.

Experts in the workshop were of the opinion that parents and teachers often fail to identify learning disabilities in children and often consider those children to be lazy or dumb, which is not true.

Dr Ranjan Kumar Akhaury, an ophthalmologist said: “If a child struggles while reading and keeps the book close while reading it or if a child watches television from a close distance, there are chances that the child is suffering from some vision related problem.”

He added: “Such children lose their interest in studies but their parents and teachers often consider them dumb.”

Shiv Kumar Prasad, an ear, nose and throat specialist said learning disabilities are sometime hereditary and sometimes occur because of infection caused during vaccination after birth.

Former vice-chancellor of Nalanda Open University, Shamshad Husssain said: “Learning disabilities can occur owing to biological and psychological problems. So there is a need of taking psychosomatic approach for children with learning disabilities.”

Hussain also suggested that every educational institution should have a counselling centre for children with learning disabilities.