I know, I'm late again...and I was late on 2/11, so I'm catching up on the "tips"! My practice is still a very busy place and the kids and their families take priority over just about everything else. It's the only way I know how to serve them and their families. I value their lives, and yours, too, which is why I know you'll forgive my tardiness!
Anyway, I was addressing the issue of how boys' brains develop in the womb and how their sequence of development makes them vulnerable to autism, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, learning disabilities, language processing disorders and dyslexia. Here are the high points:
Anyway, I was addressing the issue of how boys' brains develop in the womb and how their sequence of development makes them vulnerable to autism, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, learning disabilities, language processing disorders and dyslexia. Here are the high points:
 | The gender of your child is determined at conception by the father. The father offers either an X or a Y chromosome. If he offers an X, you have a female child because mothers only have X chromosomes. (At some point, I'll explain why having two Xs protects women's brains!) Six weeks down the road, the stage of development is a "blastocyst". Imagine a human being the size of the flat part of a straight pin. Nature rocks. It's at that time that male hormones flood the male brain. If you are carrying a female, her brain follows a predictable course, a "straight shot to daylight" if you will. Everyone starts out with a female brain...smart, huh? |
The male brain is structurally different in a variety of ways and those hormones trigger the differences. Now, here's the tricky part. If there is a "glitch" in this "brain dance", problems occur.
Think about finding your way to a new restaurant. The directions are complex including taking a tough-to-spot exit off the freeway, a couple of "bear right" moves and four or five turns. The likelihood of you overshooting a street, having to make a U-turn, or heaven forbid, stopping to ask for directions, is pretty strong. Such is the case with the male brain. But, there's no such thing as turning around or stopping to check the GPS or call the restaurant. Once there's a mistake in the sequencing, the process continues to be thrown off. If there's an error early in the development, very significant problems can result or even miscarriage. The later the "mis-direct" occurs, the less severe the problems are likely to be. This complex sequence of brain changes is one of the reasons why boys are:
The special education rate for boys is twice that of girls. This can be a serious challenge for girls in special education classrooms with boys who struggle with ADHD and problems with social skills. It's easy to see just how many more men than women are in the prison system.
Think about finding your way to a new restaurant. The directions are complex including taking a tough-to-spot exit off the freeway, a couple of "bear right" moves and four or five turns. The likelihood of you overshooting a street, having to make a U-turn, or heaven forbid, stopping to ask for directions, is pretty strong. Such is the case with the male brain. But, there's no such thing as turning around or stopping to check the GPS or call the restaurant. Once there's a mistake in the sequencing, the process continues to be thrown off. If there's an error early in the development, very significant problems can result or even miscarriage. The later the "mis-direct" occurs, the less severe the problems are likely to be. This complex sequence of brain changes is one of the reasons why boys are:
- 2 times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than girls
- 2-3 times more likely to be diagnosed with dyslexia than girls
- 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with autism than girls
- 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disability than girls
The special education rate for boys is twice that of girls. This can be a serious challenge for girls in special education classrooms with boys who struggle with ADHD and problems with social skills. It's easy to see just how many more men than women are in the prison system.
Boys are typically larger at birth and are more difficult to deliver without complications. An extended amount of time in the birth canal during delivery can lead to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and language processing problems because of the tremendous pressure on baby's brain while they are in the birth canal. Pressure on the side of the head above the ears (temporal lobe) may impact language development and pressure on the forehead (prefrontal cortex) contributes to ADHD.
Whatever you do, don't just dismiss your son's learning, behavioral, social or developmental issues. Watch yourself. If you find yourself saying, "He's just so immature", take action. This observation means that he's not meeting the early benchmarks of social growth, self-care tasks or developing coping skills.
At some point, if you don't intervene, "brain doors" will start slamming shut and he won't benefit from interventions as much as he would have in his younger years. Don't think he'll outgrow it. Remember the question I ask parents to consider..."Can you live with the consequences?" I already know this answer and so do you.
Be bold. Get the answers...
TTFN, Claudia
At some point, if you don't intervene, "brain doors" will start slamming shut and he won't benefit from interventions as much as he would have in his younger years. Don't think he'll outgrow it. Remember the question I ask parents to consider..."Can you live with the consequences?" I already know this answer and so do you.
Be bold. Get the answers...
TTFN, Claudia
