China clinic helps math-struggling students with holistic intervention including medication
Shanghai Children’s Medical Centre reveals niche clinic offering medical intervention to correct learning deficits
A hospital in Shanghai is set to launch a new clinic aimed at assisting children who struggle with mathematics through a holistic intervention strategy that includes medication, igniting a lively discussion on social media.
The Shanghai Children’s Medical Centre, a publicly funded major institution, will open the Spatial and Mathematical Learning Difficulties Clinic on October 8, as reported by the city’s television station.
This specialised clinic will be managed by the hospital’s mental health team in collaboration with the Institute of Psychology and Behavioural Science at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
According to the clinic’s introductory materials, spatial cognitive ability plays a crucial role in a student’s capacity to tackle mathematics problems, particularly in geometry.
Neuroimaging studies have revealed that for students who find geometry challenging, the parietal area of the brain - associated with spatial reasoning - shows decreased activity.
The clinic also noted that deficits in spatial perception and imagination can adversely affect students’ performance in subjects like algebra, physics, and chemistry.
