What Should You Do if You Suspect Your Child Has a Learning Disability?
Discovering that your child may have a learning disability can be a challenging and emotional experience. However, it’s crucial to remember that early intervention and support are key to helping your child thrive academically and personally. In this blog, we’ll explore the signs of a learning disability, the different types of testing available, and the significance of cognitive skills testing to get to the root cause of what’s really going on in your child.
Signs of a Learning Disability:
Understanding the signs of a learning disability is the first step in addressing your concerns. These signs may include difficulties with reading, writing, math, attention, memory, or executive functioning skills. It’s important to remember that these challenges vary from child to child because every brain is unique and everyone develops at different rates. Some of the most common things that indicate a potential learning disability could be:
- Struggles with Reading, Writing, or Math (difficulty in mastering basic academic skills could be a red flag)
- Inconsistencies in Performance (Noticeable gaps between what your child is capable of and what they are achieving in school)
- Difficulty Following Instructions (Trouble understanding and executing multi-step tasks or instructions)
- Poor Organizational Skills (Challenges in keeping track of assignments, books, and materials)
- Lack of Concentration (Trouble maintaining focus, often leading to incomplete tasks)
Next Steps When You Suspect a Learning Disability:
Different Types of Testing
When you suspect a learning disability, there are two main types of diagnostic testing you can pursue. While both of these can lead you to a formal diagnosis, they don’t necessarily provide clear direction for the best way to help your child move forward.
Neuropsychological Testing
In kids with suspected learning disabilities, neuropsychological testing is a broad test that identifies cognitive and behavioral triggers that may be impacting their ability to learn in school. It takes into account things like personality, mood, depressive or anxious tendencies, as well as cognitive abilities in things like reading and comprehension.
Psychoeducational Testing
According to Georgetown Psychology, psychoeducational testing “can identify and document learning disabilities, neurodevelopmental disorders, mood and anxiety disorders, and executive functioning deficits.” This type of testing focuses on finding a student’s strengths to direct learning styles and accommodations.
Digging Deeper into the Struggle: Cognitive Skills Testing
While either of these types of testing may land you with a label for your child’s learning struggle, they aren’t necessarily going to answer the question of WHY your child struggles in one area or another.
It’s important to ask yourself the question: what are YOU hoping to get out of your child’s testing and evaluation?
If you’re looking for a diagnosis or label for your own peace of mind or to be able to secure services, then that is an appropriate route to take.
However, in many cases, learning struggles don’t need a diagnostic label. They need a root cause approach.
At LearningRx, we don’t diagnose or treat learning disabilities. Instead, we take each individual as they are and examine their unique set of cognitive skill strengths and weaknesses. When we take this deep-dive look into WHY certain areas of learning are so difficult, we’re able to address the underlying reasons for the struggles to help them overcome their challenges with reading, math, comprehension, focus, and more.
Cognitive skills are the foundation of all thinking and learning. Whether your child is gifted, average, falling behind, or barely hanging on, each individual has a unique brain makeup that dictates how they’re able to interact with new material and situations. By looking at these skills, we can partner with you to give your child the skills they need to have in order to learn efficiently.
