Getting into college—the right college—is a goal of many teenagers and the competition to get into the best colleges is higher than ever in 2006. Succeeding in academics may be made more difficult by health issues, and health issues may result from the process of trying to be successful in academics.
School or academic achievement is affected by many factors including genetic disease. Adolescents with Down syndrome, where the adolescent usually has forty-seven chromosomes instead of forty-six always have difficulties with academics. While some adolescents with Down syndrome may be mainstreamed with other teens in high school, their academic achievement is never on the same level as youth who do not have Down syndrome. It would be the rare teen with Down syndrome who graduates from college.
However, another genetic disorder, Turner syndrome, where a female has forty-five chromosomes, called forty-five XO, academic success is more likely. Patients with Turner syndrome do attend college and have successful careers. But they do have some learning disorders that may impact on their academic achievement.
Unfortunately, it is more likely that a teen will be affected by an acquired medical condition that could affect his or her academic achievement. Examples of these conditions include the following:
· Exposure in utero fetal alcohol syndrome
· Environmentallead poisoning
· Resultant from premature birthstroke
· Malignancyproblems from chemotherapy
· Infectionmeningitis
· Medication side effects antihistamines, seizure medications
· Medicalchronic illness
Comprehensive and good medical care could prevent many of these conditions. For example, lead screening in childhood, proper immunizations, and good prenatal care are proven interventions that could result in preventing lead poisoning, meningitis and fetal alcohol syndrome. Teens with certain chronic illnesses such as cancer may have their academic achievement affected by frequent hospitalizations, medication side effects and fatigue. Or an autistic adolescent who needs special schooling and programming will never have the academic achievement of his non-autistic peers.
There are even more subtle issues that affect a teen’s academic achievement. Take for example, the issue of body image. An adolescent girl with a distorted body image may have an eating disorder. Although not always the case, in severe eating disordered patients, academic achievement may be affected by physical symptoms or inpatient hospitalizations due to the severity of the condition. Obese boys may have body image issues and not have the academic success of their peers.
Teens, who have sleep issues such as the delayed sleep phase syndrome, may fall asleep in class due to exhaustion. Substance abusing adolescents may surface because of poor academic achievement. And youth who have psychiatric illnesses including depression, anxiety disorder and bipolar disease have a higher likelihood for academic difficulties. Teens with attention deficit disorder are at significant risk for academic problems. And girls who have significant premenstrual syndrome may have increased school absenteeism and this could result in academic problems.
It has been shown that iron deficiency may impact on academic achievement. Iron deficiency results in decreased bodily iron stores and decreased iron in the central nervous system including the brain. In iron deficient animals, behavioral abnormalities have been demonstrated. In a study of 5,398 children six to sixteen years of age, 8.7 percent of the adolescent girls were found to have iron deficiency. The study demonstrated that the average math scores were lower for teen girls with iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia than for those without these medical issues. The relationship between iron deficiency and math achievement has not been shown to be cause and effect. However there is an association between iron deficiency and cognition.
Academics may lead to health issues. The nature of the competitive college admissions process may lead to stress, anxiety, sleep issues, substance abuse and sleep disorders. An adolescent who is resilient should be able to counter academic stress. But not all adolescents have innate resiliency. Colds and influenza may result from being worn out. There are boys who feel the need to diet in order to make weight for the wrestling team. And this is done in some cases, to strengthen their academic records in order to achieve success in the college admissions process. And some boys take illicit steroids to enhance their athletic performance while others abuse amphetamines in order to stay alert studying for an important examination. Unfortunately some teens cheat to achieve higher grades.
Some parents demand that their child attend an elite college and this requires the proper academic achievements. Over scheduling the younger adolescent with music lessons, athletics, private tutoring for the SAT, Saturday language classes leads to adolescent fatigue and stress and a sense of competition. Then there is the “proper” summer camp, and the nationally known boarding school. Of course the teen must be in the “best” clique.
If a teen has academic difficulties resultant from a medical condition, then accommodation may be possible. Teens with Down syndrome receive educational assistance to increase academic achievement. In some localities, teens who have extended illnesses will be supplied a tutor by the school system. A blind teen may be supplied with special materials. Teens who cannot use their hands may be supplied with a scribe. And teens that have illegible writing due to a medical condition may be allowed to use a word processor in testing situations.
An adolescent who is having difficultly with academics needs attention. The teachers should be consulted first. But there is a role for the teen’s clinician. Academic failure may be a symptom of disease and a thorough history and physical examination may be warranted. For example, the history may be suggestive of a sleep disorder, a visual disturbance or if the teen has lost her period, then there may be a pregnancy. Depression may be obvious by the way the teen conducts herself or himself during the encounter with the clinician. A height and weight determination may demonstrate onset of an eating disorder. Laboratory examination of the urine could demonstrate the presence of sugar, and this may be the first sign of diabetes. And of course, a complete blood count could show iron deficiency anemia that is relatively common in adolescent females. All of these entities could lead to academic difficulties.
Once a diagnosis is established then appropriate treatment may begin. This may include counseling or psychiatric referral or further medical evaluations and treatment. Academics present a huge investment in time and self esteem for teens. Lack of success in academics must be considered as a serious indication of a problem.
Related topics:
Alcohol, anger, anxiety disorders, autism, blindness, boarding school, body image, cheating, chronic illness, competition, depression, disabilities, eye problems, genetic disease, insomnia, learning disorders, obesity, self-esteem, sleep
