Does Your Child Have a Learning Disability?

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Does Your Child Have a Learning Disability?
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Objectives

• What is a learning disability?
• Common symptoms
• Testing and diagnosing
• Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)
• Legal rights
• Strategies for success
• Your objectives

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• What is a Learning Disability?

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Learning Disabilities

• Spoken language
• Written language
• Mathematics
• Reasoning
• Memory

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Common Symptoms Preschool

• A preschooler with a possible learning disability
  may
• Begin talking later than peers
• Have trouble finding the right words when talking
• Have difficulty following instructions
• Display extreme restlessness
• Interact inappropriately with peers
• Have significant coordination problems

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Common Symptoms Elementary School Aged Children

• The symptoms of a learning disability may become
  more obvious at the elementary level, he/she may
• Have difficulty learning the connection between
  letters and sounds
• Confuse simple words
• Transpose numbers or letters
• Have difficulty following simple directions
• Be impulsive and lack planning skills
• Have excessively poor handwriting and/or trouble
  gripping a pencil effectively
• Have difficulty understanding the concept of time

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Common Symptoms Middle And High School Aged
Children

• As school work becomes more demanding, a child in
  middle or high school may exhibit any of the
  previous symptoms plus some of the following
• Inability to follow lectures and/or take
  effective notes
• Difficulty organizing written material
• Trouble comprehending reading material
• Frustration with learning foreign languages
• Inability to understand math processes, such as
  equations

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Questions To Ask Yourself About Your Child

• When does my child typically display unusual
  behavior?
• How often does my child exhibit the behavior and
  how long does it last?
• Where does the behavior usually occur?
• Does my childs behavior seem to be influenced by
  others?
• Does my childs behavior seem to be influenced by
  other factors?

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Testing For A Learning Disability

• How to request testing for children
• Under the age of three
• Over three but not enrolled in school
• Enrolled in public school
• Enrolled in independent (private schools)

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• Diagnosing a Learning Disability

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What To Do If You Disagree With The Diagnosis

• You can request
• Other professionals (within the school or
  district) be brought in to listen to your
  concerns
• Another evaluation by a private psychologist at
  the expense of the school system
• An administrative review of the process used to
  evaluate your child, in which you will be able to
  bring your concerns before the board of education
• A due process hearing

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• Individualized Education Plans (IEPS)

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Academic Accommodations

• Extended time on exams
• Books on tape
• Auxiliary aids
• Educational resource room
• Study skills instruction

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Strategies for Success

• Educate yourself and your child
• Identify helpful strategies
• Help your child develop self-advocacy skills
• Open the lines of communication
• Have your child evaluated on a regular basis
• Create routines for schoolwork
• Consider hiring a tutor

• Create an effective study space
• Create opportunities for success
• Keep the lines of communication open
• Listen to your child
• Help your child plan for the future
• Attend support groups and seek out other means of
  support

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