Education Station

When is it too late to diagnose a Learning Disability?

Never!

A child, adolescent or adult with a learning disability desreves to understand why school is or was so hard for them. Self knowledge is empowering and stops the cycle of shame that  a student who struggles to learn often feels. Uncovering the “why” of the struggle is the first step to set the stage for learning success.

• Diagnosis of learning disabilities begins with a research validated evaluation of learning potential, processing, and achievement. The results set the stage for intervention.
• Intervention for early learners , preschool through 3^rd grade requires daily, intensive, research validated educational treatment. The sooner dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia are treated, the sooner the disability can be overcome.
• Intervention during later elementary years becomes a combination of intensive educational therapy balanced with school based support/accommodations.
• Intervention from middle school through high school requires a different focus. The adolescent with a learning disability has likely flown “under the radar” of LD detection. Compensation strategies that kept them afloat for a while, no longer work. Learning new strategies uniquely tailored to the way the learning disability impacts a student’s school functioning is critical if change is to happen. This path of change requires work and is hard. Learning to work differently, not harder requires an enormous leap of faith for both the student and parent. 
• Undiagnosed learning disabled students feel confused, angry, overwhelmed and misunderstood. As one adolescent recently said... “You should have known me in 3^rd grade. I was the ‘go to guy’. Now nobody goes to me!”.  How sad to no longer feel " smart”!  It is never too late. Learning disabilities will persist through the life span, but the negative consequences CAN be overcome so our now-struggling student can once again be the “go to guy”!

Child and Family Development’s educators can help students gain mastery over their learning disability with a careful evaluation and a targeted treatment plan.

COMING ATTRACTIONS:  Tune in for Adults with Learning Disabilities.

Read our upcoming BLOG …Adults with LD.