Learning disabilities are on a continuum both of type and spectrum of severity. The earlier parents and schools understand the individual type, scope and severity of a student’s learning disability or disabilities, the sooner a child’s social, emotional, behavioral, cognitive and academic needs can be addressed.
If a parent suspects their child has a learning disability or even symptoms of a problem in the psychological processes involved in emotional, social, cognitive and academic learning, here are a few signs to look out for:
- Reading: Decoding, fluency, comprehension, vocabulary and spelling
- Listening Comprehension: i.e., a student who struggles to understand oral reading, or struggles to retell what has been heard.
- Writing: What is a sentence? What is a compound sentence? How and where do you use grammar? What is a paragraph?
- Math: Calculations, reasoning or “word problems” and the language of math as in “what does less than or greater than actually mean?
- Auditory or Visual Processing: i.e., following one-step, two-step or multi-step directions and copying off of a blackboard which can manifest into deficits in reading comprehension, written expression, problem solving and mathematical word problems.
- ADD, AD/HD, a Non-Verbal Learning Disability or Executive Functioning Disorder: Deficits in attention, focus, distractibility, impulsivity, planning, sequencing, organization (i.e., messy bedroom, school folders, toys and backpacks) flexibility, adaptability, listening, following directions (i.e., one-step, two-step, multi-step), responding to questions or picking up on visual cues, tone of speech or facial expressions and extremes of irritability or dealing with sensory stimulation.
It is not too early (or ever too late) to call in an expert.
So you are wondering: does my child have a learning disability or some type and scope of disability. Your questions and concerns can be asked and answered in several ways. You can request help through your public school district or if you have the financial resources and prefer private evaluations, you can search out and pay for evaluators, therapists and doctors recognized for their expertise in children with special needs. Most states have a shortage of child psychiatrists, psychologists, neuropsychologists, and reading and math specialists, so you may not find the answers you are looking for any faster than requesting an evaluation through your school district. Still, should you choose a private evaluation you will often find that it is more than a cut above your public school district.
