Okwenza Ezinye Izingane Zingalawuleki Kangaka

“Amathonya ezici zofuzo, izinqubo zamakhemikhali obuchopho, nokuthuthuka kokusebenza kwezinzwa kunengxenye enkulu kulokho esiyikho njengezingane nakulokho esiba yikho njengabantu abadala.”—USTANLEY TURECKI, M.D.

INGANE ngayinye ikhula ngendlela yayo eyingqayizivele, ehlukile. Izingane zibonisa izici eziningi nemizwa ebonakala ingokwemvelo—izici abazali abangenakuzilawula ngokuphelele. Kuyiqiniso ukuthi sekuyisikhathi eside kunezingane ezinamawala, eziyaluzayo, neziphazamisayo. Abazali abahle kakhulu bangaba nengane okunzima ukuyikhulisa.

Kodwa kungani ezinye izingane zingalawuleki kakhulu kangaka futhi kuyinselele ukuzikhulisa? Liyanda inani lezingane elinezinkinga ezingathi sína zokuziphatha. Izisebenzi zasemitholampilo nabacwaningi bayavumelana ngokuthi amaphesenti amahlanu kuya kwayishumi azo zonke izingane ayaluza ngokweqile nokuthi ukuhluleka kwalezizingane ukulalela, ukugxilisa ingqondo, ukulandela imithetho, nokulawula imizwelo kuzibangela izinkathazo eziningi zona nabakubo, othisha bazo, nontanga bazo.

UDkt. Bennett Shaywitz, uprofesa wezifo zezingane nokusebenza kwezinzwa eYale University Medical School, ubhekisela kulokho okungase kube inkinga eyinhloko: “ukuphazamiseka okutholakala kwamanye amakhemikhali ezimisweni zobuchopho ezidlulisa imiyalezo yezinzwa,” ezilawula ukusebenza kwamangqamuzana obuchopho futhi zishukumise indlela ubuchopho obulawula ngayo ukuziphatha. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yini eyenza kube nzima ukukhulisa ingane, okufanele kuze kuqala kubazali ukuba nekhono lokukusingatha ngokuphumelelayo ukuziphatha kwengane yabo, banikeze isikhuthazo nokusekela kunokuba bagxeke futhi bangagculiseki.

Ngezikhathi zeBhayibheli, abazali babenomthwalo wemfanelo wokufundisa nokuqeqesha izingane zabo. Babazi ukuthi ukuyala nokufundisa ngemithetho kaNkulunkulu kwakuyohlakaniphisa ingane yabo. (Duteronomi 6:6, 7; 2 Thimothewu 3:15) Ngakho-ke, naphezu kwesimiso esimatasa, kuwumthwalo wemfanelo wabazali abawunikwe uNkulunkulu ukwenza umzamo omkhulu ngangokunokwenzeka ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zengane, ikakhulukazi ukusabela ngendlela eyakhayo ekuziphatheni okungafanele. Njengoba izinkinga eziningi zokuziphatha ezaziwa emkhakheni wezifo zezingane namuhla zihilela izingane eziqinile, ezihluthukayo, noma ezingalaleli, ukuxoxa nge-ADD ne-ADHD njengezici zezingane okunzima ukuzikhulisa kungase kube usizo.a

Ngawo-1950, lezizifo zazibizwa ngokuthi “ukuphazamiseka okuncane kobuchopho.” Ngokwesazi sokusebenza kwezinzwa zezingane uDkt. Jan Mathisen, lelogama layeka ukusetshenziswa lapho kutholakala ukuthi “i-ADD ayikhona nakancane ukuphazamiseka kobuchopho.” UDkt. Mathisen uthi: “Kubonakala sengathi i-ADD iwukukhubazeka kwezingxenye ezithile zobuchopho. Asikaqiniseki ngezinkinga ezihilelekile zamakhemikhali asebuchosheni, kodwa sinomuzwa wokuthi kuhileleke ikhemikhali esebuchosheni okuthiwa i-dopamine.” Ukholelwa ukuthi lenkinga ihilela ukusebenza kwe-dopamine. Wanezela: “Kungenzeka ukuthi akuyona ikhemikhali eyodwa kuphela, kodwa ukuhlobana kwamakhemikhali amaningana.”

Nakuba kusenemibuzo eminingi engakaphendulwa ngokuthi iyini imbangela ye-ADD, abacwaningi bebonke bavumelana noDkt. Mathisen ngokuthi ukuhluleka ukulawula ukugxiliswa kwengqondo, ukusabela kwemizwelo, nokusebenza kwezinzwa okuqhubekayo kubangelwa ukusebenza kwezinzwa. Ucwaningo olwenziwe muva nje uDkt. Alan Zametkin nabacwaningi base-National Institute of Mental Health, e-United States, lubonise ngokokuqala ngqá ukuthi imbangela ye-ADD ukungakhiqizwa kahle kwamangqamuzana ebuchosheni, nakuba kwavunywa ukuthi “kusamelwe kucwaningwe ngokwengeziwe ukuze kutholwe izimpendulo eziqinisekile.”

Isikole Sibeka Inselele Yangempela

Ngokuvamile isikole sinzima kakhulu ezinganeni ezihluleka ngokuqhubekayo ukugxilisa ingqondo, eziphazamiseka kalula, ezihluthukayo, noma eziyaluzayo, njengoba kunesidingo esikhulu sokugxilisa ingqondo nesokuhlala uthulile ekilasini. Ngenxa yokuthi izingane ezinjalo zikuthola kunzima ngempela ukugxilisa ingqondo kunoma yini isikhathi eside kakhulu, yini enye ezingayenza ngaphandle kokuyaluza ngokweqile? Kwezinye, ukuhluleka kwazo ukugxilisa ingqondo kukhulu kangangokuba azikwazi ukuqhubeka zifunda ngendlela efanele, ekhaya noma esikoleni. Ngokuvamile zijeziselwa ukuhlupha noma ukuhlekisa ekilasini, njengoba zinobunzima bokulawula ukuziphatha kwazo nokucabangela imiphumela yezenzo zazo.

Ekugcineni, ziqala ukuzinyeza, mhlawumbe zizibize ngokuthi “zimbi” nokuthi “ziyizilima” bese ziziphatha ngaleyondlela. Njengoba zithola amamaki aphansi kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zizikhandla kangakanani, lezizingane zingase zibhekane nokwehluleka okuqhubekayo ezikubhebhethekisayo.

Bekhungathekile, abazali bakhathazeka kakhulu futhi badidwe ukuziphatha kwengane yabo okuphazamisayo. Ngezinye izikhathi kuba nezingxabano emshadweni, abazali bemangalelana ngenxa yalesisimo. Abazali abaningi ngentukuthelo bachitha isikhathi esiningi begxila kokubi futhi bakhohlwe okuhle. Ngakho-ke, indlela abasabela ngayo emikhutsheni yokuziphatha okungafanele ibangela ezinye izenzo ezingafanele. Ngaleyondlela umkhaya, futhi ngokwezinga elithile nabanye abasebenzelana nalengane, babambana ngezihluthu ngenxa yokungaqondi kwabo nokwehluleka ukusingatha ukuziphatha kwengane ehluphayo—okungase kube ingane ephethwe i-Attention Deficit Disorder noma engenjalo.

Okuhlangenwe Nakho Kukanina KaRonnie

“Kusukela ngesikhathi uRonnie azalwa ngaso, wayengajabule neze kodwa wayehlale ephatheke kabi futhi ekhala. Ngenxa yokungezwani komzimba wakhe nezinto ezithile, wayequbuka emzimbeni, ephathwa izindlebe, futhi ehuda njalo.

“Nokho, amakhono kaRonnie okuqala okunyakazisa izicubu athuthuka kahle, futhi washesha kakhulu ukuhlala, ukusukuma, nokuhamba—noma ngithi wayegijima? Ngangiphuthuma ngenze yonke imisebenzi yami yasendlini lapho esalele ngoba lapho ‘isishingishane’ sami esincane sivuka, ngangizoba matasa ngizama ukumvimba angazilimazi yena nendlu njengoba ayegijima ebamba noma yini emkhangayo, futhi wayekhangwa izinto eziningi!

“Wayengakwazi ukugxilisa ingqondo isikhathi eside. Akukho okwakumgcina ematasa isikhathi eside. Wayekuzonda ukuhlala ndawonye. Yiqiniso, lokhu kwakuyinkinga lapho siya naye kunoma iyiphi indawo okwakulindeleke khona ukuba ahlale athule—ikakhulukazi emihlanganweni yebandla. Kwakungasizi ukumshaya ngenxa yokungahlali athule. Wayengakwazi. Abantu abaningi abanezisusa ezinhle babekhononda noma basicebise, kodwa akukho okwasiza.

“URonnie wayehlakaniphile, ngakho lapho eneminyaka engaba mithathu, saqala isimiso esifushane sokufunda naye nsuku zonke. Lapho eneminyaka emihlanu, wayesefunda ngokushelela. Khona-ke waya esikoleni. Ngemva kwesikhathi esingangenyanga, ngacelwa ukuba ngizoxoxa nothisha. Wangitshela ukuthi lapho eqala ukubona uRonnie, wayecabanga ukuthi wayenjengengelosi, kodwa ngemva kokumfundisa isikhathi esingangenyanga, wayesecabanga ukuthi uvela endaweni ehlukile! Wangitshela ukuthi uRonnie wayehlale egxumagxuma, ekhuba ezinye izingane, noma ezidonsa. Wayengathuli noma ahlale athule, futhi wayephazamisa lonke ikilasi. Wayentula ukuzithiba. Waphawula nokuthi wayeseqala ukuba nesimo sengqondo sokuvukela. Kwatuswa ukuba afakwe ekilasini lezifundo elikhethekile nokuthi simyise kudokotela ukuze anikezwe isidakamizwa esasizodambisa ukuziphatha kwakhe. Sakhungatheka!

“Imithi yayingamlungele uRonnie, kodwa udokotela wezingane wasinikeza ukusikisela okuwusizo. Ngokombono wakhe uRonnie wayehlakaniphile kodwa ebhocobele; ngakho-ke, wasikisela ukuba simgcine ematasa uRonnie, simnikeze uthando olukhulu, futhi sibe nesineke nesimo sengqondo esiqondile. Wayecabanga ukuthi uRonnie wayezoyeka ukukhathaza lapho ekhula futhi ethola ukudla okuhlukile.

“Saqaphela ukuthi kwakumelwe ugawule ubheke lapho usebenzelana nendodana yethu, yayidinga ukusizwa ukuba ifunde ukusebenzisa amandla ayo ngendlela efanele. Lokhu kwakuzothatha isikhathi eside; ngakho-ke, sashintsha isimiso sethu sansuku zonke, sichitha amahora amaningi simsiza emsebenzini wesikole, simfundisa futhi simchazela izinto ngesineke. Sayeka ukusebenzisa amagama ahlabayo noma ukumsola ngokungacabangi kwakhe nokuganga. Injongo yethu kwakuwukuqeda ukuzinyeza kwakhe. Saxoxa kunokuba sinikeze imiyalo futhi siphoqelele. Uma kunezinqumo ezimthintayo, sasicela umbono wakhe.

“Ezinye izinto ezizenzakalelayo kwezinye izingane zazingenzeki kalula kuRonnie. Ngokwesibonelo, kwadingeka afunde ukuba nesineke, ukuzola, ukuhlala ndawonye, nokulawula ubungqabavu bakhe obukhulu. Kodwa kwakulawuleka. Lapho eseqonda ukuthi kwakumelwe enze umzamo omkhulu ukuze angaphamazeli futhi acabange ngalokho ayekwenza, noma ayezokwenza, waqala ukuthuthuka. Lapho eneminyaka engu-13 ubudala, wayeseziphatha kahle. Ngokujabulisayo, konke kwahamba kahle kusukela ngalesosikhathi kuqhubeke, ngisho naphakathi kweminyaka yokweva eshumini nambili egcwele ukuvukela.

“Imivuzo yokunikeza uRonnie uthando olukhulu, nesikhathi kanye nesineke esilinganayo, iye yaba mihle kakhulu!”

[Umbhalo waphansi]