How Early Detection of a Learning Disability Can Help Your Kid

Learning difficulties can exist and continue to go unnoticed if they are not identified or observed properly. Children who are not progressing well at school may be thought to have a lower intelligence and IQ, whereas they may actually be experiencing learning disabilities such as Dyslexia, Dyscalculia or ADHD. So, how can we ensure the early detection of learning disabilities? It is important to pick up on any delays in core skills, such as reading acquisition. If these delays are detected at an early age, through proper evaluation and testing, then children can be given the targeted help that they need.

Preliminary Didactic Diagnosis

A preliminary didactic diagnosis enables us to gather relevant information on a child’s potential learning disabilities, and provide the parents with an easy tool to use at home. The preliminary didactic diagnosis combines the child’s developmental and educational backgrounds with a view to detecting possible learning disabilities.

ADHD

ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has a higher prevalence amongst children than is often identified. This disorder can relate to behavioral issues, the inability to focus or pay attention, and even a difficulty with sitting still. The benefits of early detection are many, and allow parents and educators to make appropriate changes in the child’s life, to enable them to cope with this issue.

Dyslexia and Dysgraphia

Dyslexia is another common learning disability; one which has a siginificant impact on reading, writing, and spelling. If this disorder is detected early, children will not be labelled as having a low IQ, or thought of as having poor ability. A learning disability like dyslexia is not related to a child’s intelligence and, if detected at an early stage, many of the associated problems can be overcome and managed. With the help of a specially designed curriculum, these children can easily work at the same level as their classmates.

Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a learning disability that causes problems with arithmetic, and allthough it is lesser-known, it is still prevalent in our schools and places of learning. If dyscalculia is detected early, then appropriate work can be undertaken to help children cope with this issue. Educators can adopt mitigating strategies such as using specially adapted worksheets, the relating of math problems to real-life, and the appropriate use of technology and rother esources to provide enhanced learning opportunities for these students.

Find the right help

If you suspect that your child may have a learning disability, it is a good idea to gather as much evidence/information as possible, as this will help with a proper diagnosis. A preliminary didactic diagnosis is essential, as well as being extremely beneficial for the early detection of learning disorders, and will enable parents and educators to adapt the curriculum accordingly. You may want to check out the Learning Disabilities Calculator for more information, and to see if your child might have a learning disorder.