Most children naturally want to excel at school; they want to please their parents and earn recognition from their teachers and peers. If your child isn’t completing his or her work on time, appears to be struggling with certain skills, or is losing interest in school altogether, it’s therefore prudent to consider the possibility of a learning disability. Even actions that look willfully unruly, like skipping school or being disruptive in class, are sometimes the result of pain and frustration caused by learning difficulties.
Though teachers sometimes recognize the signs of a learning disability when a child starts to fall behind, they don’t always make the connection. They may also mistake disruptive or inattentive behaviour for an attitude issue, especially if the child in question appears to be bright. As such, parents often have to drive the process of getting help for their child’s learning issues: If your child is struggling at school, knowing how learning disabilities are identified and managed can help you secure his or her academic future.
How are Learning Disabilities Diagnosed?
Your child will need to undergo formal testing to be diagnosed with a learning disability. A comprehensive, standardized set of tests called a psychoeducational evaluation is recommended for most children who show signs of an information processing issue. Sometimes, however, a neuro–psychological evaluation is required instead; this is more likely to be the case if your child’s overall cognition appears to be affected, rather than one or two specific skills. Neither test is invasive (they’re conducted with a pen and paper or computer), and both tests can accurately diagnose a broad range of learning difficulties.
Younger children (those who are still in elementary school) may be offered an assessment program known as "Response to Intervention" (RTI), in addition to standardized testing. This program, which is sometimes called the “tiered approach” in Ontario, seeks to identify children who are at risk of developing learning difficulties, then offers assistance through a series of steps.
Rather than waiting for kids to fall behind, the tiered approach aims to intervene as soon as a child shows signs of potential difficulty. Then, the child is provided with direct assistance intended to help him master the required skills. Assistance typically comes from the classroom teacher at first, but if this intervention fails to make a meaningful difference, a specialized support teacher will be called in to aid the child. If the second intervention doesn’t help the child make progress, other interventions, like special education, are often considered.
Seeking Help for Your Child
As soon as you notice that your child is struggling at school (whether he’s having difficulty with one subject or shows an overall performance deficit), you should arrange a meeting with his school principal. If your child attends a private school, talking to both the principal of his private school and the principal of the public school your child would otherwise be attending may provide more resources for you to explore. In either case, your child’s principal should promptly arrange a meeting with his classroom teacher to discuss the issues your child is having. From there, the principal may ask your permission to request a psychoeducational testing or initiate a RTI program.
Unfortunately, parents sometimes meet with resistance when they express concerns about their child’s academic abilities. If your child’s teacher or principal does not agree that a learning problem exists, don’t feel as though you have reached a dead end. You may be able to appeal the school’s decision, and if all else fails, you can have a psychoeducational assessment conducted privately. Should a private assessment verify that your child has a learning disability, your child’s school will be required by law to provide appropriate classroom support and accommodations.
Typical Accommodations For Students with Learning Disability
Here are some common accommodations that high schools, colleges, and universities offer to students diagnosed with learning disabilities:- Extended Time on Exams and Assignments: Students may be allowed additional time to complete exams or assignments.
- Alternative Exam Formats: Exams may be offered in a format that is more accessible for the student, such as oral exams or exams with multiple-choice questions instead of essay questions.
- Quiet Testing Locations: Students may be allowed to take exams in a quiet, distraction-free location.
- Breaks During Exams: Students might be allowed short breaks during exams to help with focus and concentration.
- Note-Taking Assistance: This could include access to lecture notes or the use of a note-taking tool or app.
- Use of Technology: This could include the use of text-to-speech software, speech-to-text software, spell checkers, or other assistive technology.
- Reduced Course Load: Students may be allowed to take fewer courses per semester without it affecting their status as a full-time student.
- Priority Registration: Students may be allowed to register for classes earlier than other students to ensure they can get into classes that fit their schedule and accommodation needs.
- Use of a Calculator or Dictionary: During exams, students may be allowed to use tools like calculators or dictionaries that are typically not allowed.
- Study Skills and Strategy Instruction: Some institutions offer support to students to help them develop effective study habits and strategies.
- Accessible Housing: If living on campus, students might be able to get accommodations like a single room or a room that is close to classes.
Understanding Your Child’s Psychoeducational Evaluation
Your child’s psychoeducational evaluation will assess his general IQ and learning style while also analyzing specific information processing abilities (e.g., verbal and visual processing) and the capacity of his short and long-term memory. This type of test will identify your child’s intellectual strengths as well as isolating areas where he needs assistance. Even if your child does not have a learning disability, undergoing a psycho-educational evaluation will yield valuable information about his unique aptitudes. To generate this detailed data, a psychoeducational evaluation includes IQ tests, reading, writing, and mathematics exercises, and at least one lengthy clinical interview. You and your child’s educators may also be asked to complete questionnaires in order to fully assess how your child is performing in relation to his peers.
When you receive the results of your child’s evaluation, remember that his Full Scale IQ score is not necessarily the most complete measure of his intellectual ability. There are many different types of intelligence, so your child may score very highly in one area while scoring poorly in another (for instance, he may demonstrate excellent verbal intelligence, but poor mathematical ability). This will make his Full Scale IQ score appear average, when his intelligence is actually far above average in at least one area. Ask the professional who assessed your child to outline his core strengths and weaknesses, so that you’ll be prepared to relay information to your child’s educators, as needed, and help him understand his key skills.
Though a psychoeducational evaluation usually yields all of the information needed to diagnose a learning disability, in some cases, additional tests may also be required. A speech–language assessment might be recommended if your child has trouble processing verbal information, for example, or additional behavioural assessments may be needed to identify attentional or emotional problems. If your child’s assessment results suggest the presence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a developmental disorder (rather than a learning disability), you will be able to work closely with a health professional to find the best interventions for your child such as ADHD therapy, ADHD coaching, or medications. Regardless of what is causing your child’s academic difficulties, help is available, and early intervention almost always leads to effective treatment.
