The Film
The film opens with Ishaan, an eight-year-old boy,
trying to net some small fish in the water by the side of a street,
oblivious to the waiting school bus nearby. He is delighting in the
task of fishing and completely absorbed in the task. In the next
scene at school, Ishaan gazes out of the window of his classroom,
distracted from the lesson he is in, which gets him into trouble
and it becomes clear that he is repeatedly failing to attend to and
complete his school work. At home, his older brother is a high
achiever, to the clear approval of his aspirational parents. In
contrast, Ishaan is drawn to the world of creativity, with a love
of painting, puzzles and model building, which his brother is alone
in praising. The first song sequence perfectly portrays the
difference between Ishaan’s inner world and that of his striving
goal directed family.
It is only after a series of failures in his class
tests that Ishaan truants from school and gets his brother to fake
the absence note. The head teacher finally makes his parents aware
of the extent of his problems and suggests that he cannot proceed
to the next year. His mother, who has tried to coach him in reading
and writing at home, is frustrated by Ishaan’s apparent lack of
concentration and ability in his studies whilst trying to counter
her husband’s exasperation that Ishaan is being deliberately
stubborn and lazy. As a result, Ishaan is sent away to a strict
boarding school to be ‘sorted out’. Here he continues to fail
academically and Ishaan soon becomes increasingly low in mood and
more withdrawn socially, interacting only with another physically
disabled pupil, who becomes his friend. During this period, he also
loses enthusiasm for his creative activities, which have always
brought him so much pleasure, as he struggles to cope with the loss
of his family and his home environment.
It is only with the arrival of a temporary Art
Teacher at the boarding school, called Ram Shankar Nikumbh, that
there is hope for Ishaan. This teacher uses different methods to
engage the pupils, as illustrated by his introductory song, in
which he introduces himself to the class dressed as a colourful
clown. Nikumbh soon becomes aware that Ishaan is not a happy child
and begins to suspect the true nature of his difficulty. Nikumbh’s
alternative attitudes to learning and his emphasis on creative
freedom eventually engage Ishaan, as he realizes that they share a
similar way of viewing the world that is acceptable. It is through
this bond that Nikumbh eventually reveals he too suffered similar
difficulties as a child, giving Ishaan a positive role model and a
way out of his depression. Gradually, Ishaan’s self-esteem recovers
with the sensitive encouragement of Nikumbh, who highlights
Ishaan’s artistic talents to his parents and headmaster, who are
finally able to be proud of him for his unique achievements.
Relevance to the field of Mental Health
As an introduction to the topic of dyslexia, Like Stars on
Earth provides a wonderful case history that highlights not
only the first hand experience of dyslexia in a young child but
also the consequences of a missed diagnosis. Although viewers might
find it hard to believe that Ishaan’s experiences at school could
actually happen in the UK, it is important to recognise how easy it
is for children to be labeled naughty or stupid when, in fact, they
are struggling with dyslexia. As the actress
Greta Scacchi writes, in her recent article for the Evening
Standard newspaper, her son suffered from significant problems as a
result of his dyslexia in the earlier years of his schooling in the
UK, in both the state and the private sector.
The clever use of animation, in the song bheja
kum, provides the viewer with an opportunity to experience
what a dyslexia sufferer may see when they look at a page of print
or numbers and the symbols dance around. As such, it would be a
perfect springboard for a discussion about the symptoms of
dyslexia. But this song sequence, with its fantastical
exaggerations, also offers the viewer an important insight into the
effect on a child of repeatedly failing in their academic studies
and being made to feel stupid and lazy at such a young age. In
turn, it becomes very easy to understand why there is a close
association between dyslexia and both conduct and mood
disorders.
Dyslexia or specific reading disorder is
defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-IV) as ‘reading achievement (that is, reading
accuracy, speed or comprehension as measured by individually
administered standardised tests) that falls substantially below
that expected given the individual's chronological age, measured
intelligence and age-appropriate education. The disturbance in
reading significantly interferes with academic
achievement … If a sensory deficit is present, the
reading difficulties are in excess of those usually associated with
it.’
According to the Dyslexia Research
Trust, a UK charity, ‘1 in 10 children suffer from dyslexia.
Dyslexia is the most common cause of childhood loss of self-esteem,
leading to profound misery and even suicide, or vandalism, violence
and criminality. 50% of convicted criminals are thought to be
dyslexic’. There is a genetic basis to the condition, as confirmed
by twin studies, which causes differences in the development of the
brain, including microscopic differences in the arrangement and
connection of neurons. These tend particularly to involve visual
and auditory 'magnocellular' systems which are specialised for
rapid information processing. Dyslexia is more common in males than
females and there is often an overlap with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders and with dyspraxia. The
film offers an excellent opportunity to consider the issue of
co-morbidity when considering Ishaan’s behaviour at various stages
of the story.
The NHS
choices website has some very informative pages on
dyslexia, with a good discussion of the symptoms, causes and
treatment options. It is interesting to note that brain imaging
studies have shown that people with dyslexia use different parts of
their brain, and that they make more use of the right hemisphere,
which is involved in the more creative aspects of thought. Ishaan’s
story helps to reinforce this different way of engaging with the
world that people with dyslexia often have and that this can be
used to their advantage once the condition has been recognised and
the educational supports are in place. People with dyslexia are
often very good at thinking ‘outside the box’ in an innovative and
creative way. There is further information available about all
aspects of the condition at the British Dyslexia
Association website.
For psychiatrists, there were two excellent
review articles, published in 2010 in Advances in Psychiatric
Treatment, written by child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr
M.S. Thambirajah, entitled Developmental dyslexia: An overview
(Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 2010 v. 16, p. 299-307
abstract)
& Developmental dyslexia: clinical aspects (Advances in
Psychiatric Treatment 2010 v. 16, p. 380-387 abstract).
These articles could be read alongside a viewing of Like Stars
on Earth to provide comprehensive learning about dyslexia for
anyone interested in working in Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry.
This post is dedicated to C.P.
Thanks to my colleague Dr S.S. for the film
recommendation
• Further information about Like Stars on Earth is
available at IMDB, as is a short
trailer.
• The film can be purchased at
amazon.co.uk.
• Minds on Film is written by Consultant
Psychiatrist, Dr Joyce Almeida.
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