If anyone teaches an LD student and the child is performing poorly and always seems sleepy, suspect sleep apnea. My 16 year old ADHD son has been having major problems in school. I was going to ask the school to test him for a learning disability for the third time because of his poor performance.
My son has fallen sound asleep in several classes, was sent to the school nurse, and told that if it continued he would be tested for drugs. He was recently diagnosed as having sleep apnea. This has had a major impact on his motivation (because he is always exhausted), his memory, and his ability to think clearly. Many teachers have said that he wasn’t trying hard enough and he could do well if he wanted to put forth the effort. It is very hard to do anything (particularly tasks that require mental concentration) when you are trying not to fall asleep.
My son has had this problem for at least 3 years. I wish one of his teachers could have alerted me to investigate sleep apnea as a possible cause of his poor academic performance. He is scheduled to have his tonsils out in September so this problem will be resolved and he will be more mentally available to learn.
Some symptoms of sleep apnea include poor concentration, excessive sleepiness, behavior problems, difficulty with memory, and organizing information.
Teachers can be on the front lines to alert parents of this problem so that it can be remedied and children can learn to their full potential.
Della