Henry Montero, LMHC, CASAC-2, CTTS
Alquimedez Mental Health Counseling
1154 E. Tremont Ave Bronx, NY 10460-2452
Tel: 718-664-7679
www.alquimedez.com
Email: info@alquimedez.com
Twitter: @henmontero
Instagram: alquimedezmentalhealth
Before we focus on the screening process, we must define what learning disability entails. A learning deficiency or learning disorders as they are also known is an all-encompassing term that includes several learning issues.
This does not mean that individuals lack motivation or intelligence. It does not mean that they are lethargic or can be called inarticulate. Quite the opposite is exact! Most children who have a learning disability are smarter than the average child. It is merely that their brain works differently than others.
People who have a learning affliction generally see, hear and comprehend things distinctively. This means they may warrant extra attention and care, especially at an early age. The screening process for adolescents and children with a potential mental health issue or a specific learning disability is broken down into different age brackets. We will look at the signs children in each group may exhibit.
The Signs
Pre-School
The earliest age at which a learning deficiency may be detected in children is when they are enrolled in pre-school. Teachers and parents should be careful in classrooms and at home respectively to recognize these symptoms.
For instance, if a student is facing issues pronouncing words correctly, that may be the first sign of a learning disability. However, more indications must be gauged before taking further action like consulting a specialist. This is because many children are likely to be slow learners and it is not necessary that all of them have a mental health issue.
If you can notice that your child cannot locate the appropriate word when they are speaking, they are simply unable to rhyme words and particularly if they are incapable of learning letters, alphabets, colors or shapes, then a learning disability may have already manifested itself.
Other signs include difficulty in adhering to instructions and not being able to follow routines, being unable to control pencils, scissors, and other stationery and also failing to do their buttons, tie their laces or zippers.
Elementary School
The next stage of a child’s life where a learning disability may be detected is in their elementary school days. We must comprehend the fact that now we are dealing with children who are a few years older, which is predominantly why the symptoms will differ considerably.
For example, if a child is facing difficulty in connecting letters and sounds, or if he just cannot mesh sounds effectively to make words, then other signs must be observed for a conclusive assessment.
If a kid mixes terms when reading, if they are slower than their peers when learning new skills, if they have lackluster spellings and regularly make mistakes, then it’s fairly apparent that a learning disability has come to the fore.
Lastly, other signs include being unable to grasp mathematical concepts and also being unable to discern the time and not differentiating sequences.
Middle School
The next and final stage where shortcomings may be seen is during middle school. If a student is facing issues when doing comprehension or while executing mathematical solutions, they may have a learning disability.
Other signs are a general aversion for reading and writing, poor handwriting, failing to participate appropriately in discussions in classrooms and at home, as well as having bad organizational skills.