6 areas of learning assessments

Today’s parent is more aware of their children’s learning development than ever before. Children have different learning paces, styles, rythms, strength and weaknesses. They may exhibit demotivation instead of learning difficulties. They may simply have a more introverted personality or on the other end of the spectrum, an excitable one. A child may be buzzing around like a bee all day or just a little behind in learning might not indicate that they have a disability. In order to identify developmental difficulties, there are 6 areas of assessments.

The 6 areas for identifying include:

Motor and coordination problems Difficulty understanding Mathematics Language and communication problems Reading problems Writing problems Auditory and visual processing difficulties Motor and coordination problems A lack of hand-eye coordination is a potential sign thatyour child may be suffering from some type of disability. You should watch the way that they perform intricate activities like gripping, drawing or coloring as well as larger movements like walking, running or climbing. Difficulty understanding Mathematics This is a fairly easy area to diagnose. If your child has difficulty with identifying operations, number sequences or memorizing numerical data then chances are,they may  a learning disability or just finding it difficult learning the mathimathical process. Language and communication problems One of the most common indicators of a learning disability is a child’s inability to verbally express themselves and/or comprehend certain things. If a child frequently exhibits frustration when trying to explain something or if they are unable to retell a story they could possibly be experiencing some  language based learning disability.  Consistent inability to follow directions can also be an indicator. Reading problems Reading problems can be broken down into 2 areas; difficulty in comprehending the connection between sounds and written words, and problems comprehending words or larger blocks of text. The speed that your child reads and the rate at which they incorporate new vocabulary are also big indicators of a potential learning disability. Writing problems If a child consistently exhibits difficulty with physically writing or processing information they may be experiencing a form of learning disability. Spelling, tidiness and reasoning ability are also big indicators of a learning disability. Auditory or visual difficulties Arguably, the most obvious indicator of a learning disability is a child’s limited ability to hear or see. The eyes and ears are connected directly to the brain via processing centers, if a child has difficulty processing this type of data it could be a strong indicator that there is something wrong. Perhaps they hear words and cannot understand them despite knowing what the words mean, or maybe they cannot identify familiar shapes. Spotting a learning disability early can make a the difference in the world to your child’s future and emotional growth. There are now effective treatments for most disabilities.  If you do recognise more than one of the above presentations in extreme behaviour in your child, it’s then highly advisable to seek professional assistance and obtain comprehensive evaluation before labeling the child as having any learning disabilities. Sources and further reading resources: http://www.ncld.org/ld-basics/ld-explained/basic-facts/study-supports-improved-ways-to-identify-learning-disabilities http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21464362 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21462003 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21458972 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21449164

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