Learn more about LD external icon. Helping children with learning and attention issues external icon. Children with specific learning disabilities are eligible for special education services or accommodations at school under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act IDEA external icon and an anti-discrimination law known as Section Learn more about education services and accommodations external icon. Read the guidelines from the U. Department of Justice Disability Rights Section about testing accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
Healthcare providers can play an important part in collaborating with schools to help a child with learning disorders or other disabilities get the special services they need. The American Academy of Pediatrics AAP has created a report that describes the roles that healthcare providers can have in helping children with disabilities external icon , including learning disorders:.
Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Child Development. Section Navigation. You'll begin to get to know the team of professionals who will be involved in your or your child's care.
The right support from professionals — such as GPs, paediatricians doctors who specialise in treating children , speech and language therapists, physiotherapists, educational and clinical psychologists and social care — helps people with a learning disability live as full and independent a life as possible.
A learning disability happens when a person's brain development is affected, either before they're born, during their birth or in early childhood. Some conditions are associated with having a learning disability because people with these conditions are more likely to have one. For example, everyone with Down's syndrome has some kind of learning disability, and so do many people with cerebral palsy.
A profound and multiple learning disability PMLD is when a person has a severe learning disability and other disabilities that significantly affect their ability to communicate and be independent. Someone with PMLD may have severe difficulties seeing, hearing, speaking and moving. They may have complex health and social care needs due to these or other conditions.
People with PMLD need a carer or carers to help them with most areas of everyday life, such as eating, washing and going to the toilet. With support, many people can learn to communicate in different ways, be involved in decisions about themselves, do things they enjoy and achieve more independence. Read more about caring for children with complex needs. Some children have specific learning disabilities also known as LDs , such as reading or math disabilities. Many children with learning differences and difficulties can have more than one learning disability or condition that affects learning.
There are many reasons why a child may have difficulties learning. The causes aren't always known, but in many cases children have a parent or relative with the same or similar learning and thinking differences and difficulties. Other risk factors include low birth weight and prematurity, or an injury or illness during childhood for example, head injury, lead poisoning, a childhood illness like meningitis. Regardless of the cause of learning difficulties, the first step is to recognize your child is struggling and to discuss your concerns with your child's teachers and doctor.
Together, you can find out what is contributing to the difficulties and make sure your child gets any help needed. Learning and thinking differences aren't always obvious, but there are some signs that could mean your child needs help.
Keep in mind that children develop and learn at different rates. Talk with your child's teacher and let your child's doctor know if your child shows any of the following signs:.
By Jon Morin. As a baby and toddler, my son Benjamin met or exceeded every developmental milestone on the list. He was stacking dozens of blocks by the time he should have been able to stack several. He talked very early and was reading at some level by 2 years old. I was thrilled to have such a bright, happy, and active kid. Still, there was something different about this child. He seemed to never stop moving—his body or his brain.
He was alert and aware all the time, never napped, and hardly ever slept for more than a few hours at a time. He wasn't fussy, but he just seemed to be on Once Benjamin was in preschool, his differences became more apparent.
He was more active than the other kids—always bouncing in his chair or walking about the room. When he was concentrating hard or excited, he would flap his arms and legs. He was very sensitive to textures and sounds. Benjamin seemed anxious, too. I didn't know what it all meant, but I knew it wasn't the norm. My wife was worried, too. As a former early intervention specialist, she knows a lot about child development. But even with all that knowledge in our household, we still didn't know what was going on.
So we talked it over and decided I would take him in to see the pediatrician. I wasn't sure about the appointment. I didn't know what to ask, and I didn't know if the pediatrician would know what to do with my concerns. So instead of asking questions, I just described my observations on what seemed different to me.
I described his constant motion, his anxiety, and his sensitivities. I described his repeated questions and repetitious activities and how he would line up his toy cars into rows and talk about them just as much as playing with them.
Our pediatrician listened intently and asked some clarifying questions. When I was done describing, right away he knew what our next step should be: He referred us to a developmental-behavioral pediatrician who specializes in neurology. I was relieved to have a clear course of action. The developmental-behavioral pediatrician did the appropriate assessments and ultimately gave my son his diagnoses of ADHD and autism spectrum disorder.
I had mixed emotions when Benjamin got the diagnoses. But I was so grateful to our pediatrician for helping us get answers. Benjamin now gets the support and services he needs to thrive. He really is a happy and fun kid, and he doesn't consider having ADHD or autism labels. They are just part of his identity. Thanks to the help of the pediatrician, our family is set up for success. Not all children with learning differences will need to see a specialist or have the same diagnosis as our son.
I encourage you to talk with your pediatrician to help figure out what is best for your child. I'm so glad we had the conversation. Delays in language development. Trouble with speech. By 3 years of age, your child should speak well enough so that adults can understand most of what they say. Trouble with coordination.
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