Could it be a learning disability?
It takes a formal evaluation to determine if a child has a learning disability.
When should a struggling student be tested?
Oral language is the basis or foundation of much learning in school as well as out of school. Perceiving and learning speech sounds, understanding and using new vocabulary, understanding and learning to use grammar and using language appropriately to communicate with others are critical to school success.
Children with early speech articulation deficits very often have problems being able to hear individual sounds in words. Hearing sounds in words is the best predictor of problems learning to early reading skills. Recent research by the National Institutes of Health indicates that about 20% of the school population had difficulty acquiring early reading skills. Many of these children are later diagnosed as having learning disabilities (“Spoken Language and Learning Disabilities”, Jane Blalock).
Speech-language pathologists are typically the first to diagnose and work with young children having speech and/or language problems. Our team of experienced speech-language pathologists provides comprehensive evaluations for toddlers, children, teens and adults. Evaluations identify strengths and weaknesses and lead to specific intervention. If intervention is indicated, our team also provides the best in comprehensive, personalized therapeutic remediation or assists families in obtaining appropriate referrals to other individuals or agencies.
Indicators of Possible Language Problems in Young Children:
• Deficits in the ability to share attention and expressions with eye gaze and
facial expression
• A low rate of communication with either gestures and/or speech
• A limited range of communications functions
• A limited variety of gestures (before words)
• A reliance on gestures and a limited use of vocalizations (babbling) to
communicate
• A limited inventory of sounds
• A delay in both language comprehension and production
• A delay in the spontaneous use of action schemes in symbolic play
Checklist of Expected Communicative Behaviors*
By 36 months:
• Produces sentences of 3-5 words
• Talks about past and future events
• Responds to and asks questions using “what”, “who” and “where”
• Has vocabulary of 100-200 words
• Speech is greater than 75% intelligible to caregivers
• Points to many different pictures in a book on request
• Responds to questions or comments about objects/events outside of
immediate context
• Shows interest in other person's conversations
* Child should be referred for evaluation if most behaviors have not been observed by this age
Indicators of Possible Learning Problems in School-Age Children:
• Inconsistent academic progress
• Inattention and distractibility
• Difficulty learning letter sounds
• Reversals after age eight
• Difficulty producing written work
• Your child has been retained in a grade or started school later due to
developmental concerns (Waiting for maturation and repeating grades does not
fix language-based problems)
Preparing for Your First Appointment
top
