4. Academic Struggles: The Silent Symptom of Juvenile Huntington’s Disease
Another heartbreaking reality of JHD is the academic struggles that these children may face. As JHD impacts cognitive functioning, affected children often find it increasingly challenging to keep up with their peers acadically.
This difficulty is usually a result of the child’s deteriorating cognitive abilities, which make tasks like comprehension, memory retention, and problem-solving more difficult than before. Children with JHD might start falling behind in school, struggling with tasks they previously completed with ease, or have trouble grasping new concepts. This decline can often be one of the first noticeable signs of JHD, even before physical symptoms become evident.
While it’s distressing to watch a child struggle academically, early intervention can be beneficial. In collaboration with educational psychologists and school counselors, a tailored learning approach can be developed to suit the child’s unique needs. This might include specialized teaching methods, additional tutoring, or even adaptive technology to help the child with their schoolwork. (4)
