If your child has difficulty with reading, writing, math or other school learning-related tasks, this does not necessarily mean that they have a learning disability. Lots of children struggle at times with school.
Common signs of a learning disability:
- Difficulty with reading, writing or math skills
- Short attention span or difficulty staying on task (easily distracted)
- Difficulty with memory
- Trouble following directions
- Poor hand-eye coordination
- Difficulty with time management
- Problems staying organized
- Inability to discriminate between or among letters, numerals, or sounds
- Difficulty with paying attention
- Inconsistent school performance
Each learning disability has its own signs and not every person with a particular disability will have all of the signs. These signs alone are not enough to diagnose a learning disability, so a professional assessment is necessary to diagnose a learning disability.
If some of these symptoms sound familiar, below are 10 steps to take:
- Talk to your child about the areas they are struggling in order to understand the symptoms.
- Provide empathy and emotional support for your child. Let them know that lots of people struggle at times with school related tasks.
- Get specific feedback from teachers regarding problem areas or grades.
- Set up an initial intake session with a Psychologist/Neuropsychologist to discuss symptoms and background information.
- Have the child tested in specific areas:
- Intellectual/IQ
- Achievement/Academic
- Language/Communication
- Memory
- Attention
- Visual/Motor
- Problem Solving
- Social, Emotional, Behavioral
- Get feedback from teachers with specific forms regarding behaviors
- Discuss with Psychologist/Neuropsychologist the results of the testing and recommendations.
- Talk to the child’s school about accommodations and services.
- Follow up with teachers about effectiveness and gains of accommodations.
- Follow up Neuropsychological testing in 6 months to 1 years’ time.
References:
https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/learning/conditioninfo/Pages/symptoms.aspx
http://ldaamerica.org/symptoms-of-learning-disabilities
