by Does-It-Matter

Created on: August 15, 2010   Last Updated: August 17, 2010

Things I Have Learned Raising a Child with a Learning Disorder

My son is a bright, creative and perceptive child whose social skills are far beyond those of his peers.  So it may come as a surprise that he also has a learning disorder.  I prefer that term learning disorder as it seems more accurate than the term learning disability.  Children with learning disorders can learn, they just do so differently than many of their peers.  In this article, I will address a variety of issues that come up when learning that your child has a learning disorder.

How is a Child Assessed For a Learning Disorder?

In many cases, including my sons, it is a teacher who first notices that one of their students is having trouble doing school work.  That teacher will then bring the student to the attention of the school board who will then send home a notice to the parent asking permission for the student to be tested for a learning disorder by a child psychologist.

If the parent consents to having their child assessed, a psychologist who works with the school board will come to the child’s school to assess them.  Assessments are done by giving the child an IQ (intelligence quotient) test.  If the child’s general IQ is average or above, yet they score significantly below average in a particular area than they likely have a learning disorder.

Sometimes it is a parent who first suspects that their child has a learning disorder.  In that case, the parent would speak to their family doctor or pediatrician, who would than refer the child to a psychologist.  Once in to see the psychologist, the process would be the same as it is if referred by a school board.

When Does a Learning Disorder Become Noticeable?

At what point in a child’s life does it become apparent that they may have a learning disorder is largely dependent on the type and severity of the disorder.  A child with severe dyslexia; a reading disorder in which a sufferer tends to reverse letters and words, would likely be referred for a diagnosis by senior kindergarten when they first start learning to read.  On the other hand, a mild problem with gross motor skills may go completely unnoticed and just be chalked up to “clumsiness”.

My son’s learning disorder is considered to be moderate.  He was assessed and diagnosed with his learning disorder at the end of second grade which is a common age for a child to be assessed as school work

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