Question Discussion & Solution

The generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) was earlier known by the name anxiety neurosis or anxiety states. The disorder is more commonly seen in primary care settings or in internal medicine clinics rather than in psychiatric practice.

• GAD is characterized by unrealistic and/ or excessive anxiety which is generalized and persistent, present all the time and is not restricted to certain situations or exposure to certain objects. The disorder has a prevalence of 2-5 per cent and is twice more common in females as compared with males. Onset is usually in the 20s, although persons of any age can be affected.
• Only one-third of patients who have GAD seek psychiatric help. Many go to the general practitioners, internists and cardiologists.
• Symptoms in GAD may sometimes occur in the background of chronic environmental stress. Many times, the illness runs a chronic and fluctuating course, but the response to treatment is good. Mild depressive symptoms are often an associated feature.

Hence, it is clear that GAD stands for Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

Development refers to an increase in structure for better and enhanced functioning of organs. It is a complex and continuous process, thus there are some principles that need to be followed for a better understanding of the concept.

Key PointsPrinciples of development include:

Development is Life-Long​/Principle of continuity:

• This principle defines that development is a life-long process as it does not stop at maturation and continues gradually until reaching its maximum growth. 

Development is modifiable​: 

• Development may be explained as the series of overall changes in an individual due to the emergence of modified structures and functions that are the outcome of the interactions and exchanges between the organism and its environment. 

Development follows a pattern:

•  Prenatal (before birth) and postnatal (after birth) development of human beings follow a pattern or a predictable sequence. Physical development, motor or language development and intellectual development take place in definite sequences.

Product of hereditary and environment:

• Hereditary and environment play a vital role in determining the development of an individual as:
  • all the mental and social traits depend on the environment.
  • all the inborn traits, instincts, potentials, and I. Q. depends on heredity.
• Development = Heredity * Environment 

Hence, it could be concluded that development is governed and determined by culture alone is not a principle of development.

The objectives of teaching environmental studies are to create awareness about environmental problems among children and impart basic knowledge about the environment and its allied problems.

Key Points

• Environmental education focuses on studying the interactions between humans and the environment.
• The main objective is solving real-world problems like pollution, deforestation, waste production, or global warming.
• A teacher, therefore, plays an important role in providing environmental awareness and developing a positive attitude and perception towards the environment among students.
• It aims to develop cognitive, affective, and psychomotor, or cognitive domains simultaneously.
• So, the teacher should focus more on the perception of children i.e., he should focus on how they learn and build their concepts by actively interacting with their environment.
• It will help teachers understand how their decisions and actions affect the environment, builds the knowledge and skills necessary. 

Thus, it is clear above that the main focus of environmental studies is to change the attitude and perceptions of children.

An intellectual disability that is also known as mental retardation (M.R.) is the most common disability found among children with special needs. It is considered a substantial limitation in present functioning.

• It starts before the age of 18, the intellectual functioning level of a child becomes below average and that can be measured by the standardized tests used for measuring the intelligence quotient.

Key Points

• The mentally retarded are those whose normal intellectual growth is arrested before birth, during the birth process, or in the early years of development.
• They learn slowly and through imitating their peers or teachers. They have a short memory and forget things easily.
• They have problems in communication, social interaction, managing their daily tasks, speech disturbances. They show immaturity in different social situations.
• Mental retardation may vary in different individuals, ranging from mild to profound. They require special care and supervision for their welfare and for the development of their capacities.​

Hence, it could be concluded that the ability to generalize is not a learning characteristic of a mentally retarded person.

Learning disability refers to a neurological disorder that causes cognitive impairment. Dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, etc are the most common learning disability.

Key Points

Dysgraphia refers to a learning disability which:

• affects learners' ability to write coherently. 
• hinders in organizing letters, numbers, or words on papers.
• leads to problems with poor spelling, impaired handwriting, etc.

Remedies useful for treating students with Dysgraphia:

• giving extra time for writing assessment, will reduce the copying activity and will emphasize the importance of writing original answers. 
• dividing tasks into small steps will enable the learners to assimilate the idea easily and will help them in putting their thoughts on paper.
• providing low-stress opportunities will allow the learners to learn and write at their own pace and to foster their own strategy of learning and writing.

Hence, it could be concluded that A person with 'Dysgraphia' disease has problems in writing and/or drawing.

 Additional Information

Other Disabilities in Brief: