|
How do I know if my child needs educational therapy? |
Signs of a learning disorder may include:
- performance below grade level in school,
- troubled attitude towards reading
- difficulty with writing
- difficulty following verbal instructions
- lack of attention in school
- seeming lack of interest in school
Numerous tests exist that can identify deficits in memory,
auditory or visual processing and visual-motor integration. |
|
What is the process for identifying a learning disorder? |
Traditionally – a learning disorder has
been defined as a discrepancy between ability and
achievement in a specific area such as math, reading, etc. or
an area of processing. A newer approach in the California
school system goes under the acronym of RTI – (Response To
Intervention) whereby any student who is not meeting the
school benchmarks theoretically should be provided with some
form of intervention. If the student does not respond to
intervention and after considering other variable criteria,
the student may be deemed to have a learning disorder. The
rules for this are still a bit unclear as it is quite new
and many California school districts have not adopted it
yet. |
|
My child has many strengths. Doesn't that mean he/she doesn't
have a learning disability? |
Actually no. A learning disorder doesn't automatically mean a
delay in every faculty. As an example, some children may be
gifted in math but display weaknesses in reading or oral
expression. Some children may read well but suffer comprehension
problems. Some may only have issues with fine motor control,
exhibiting problems with handwriting or drawing. |
|
My child has been receiving Special Education support at his/her
public school. Why would an Educational Therapist be necessary? |
School resources are extremely limited. A child with a learning
difficulty may not be able to obtain sufficient support from
school provided resources. Often, learning difficulties may
require a broader, multi-disciplinary approach. In this instance
the educational therapist plays the role of case manager,
arranging for resources and tracking progress.
|
|
Are the test you do recognized by Psychologists, schools and
colleges and how are they different? |
There are a wide variety of IQ and function tests on the market
that are used by various professionals to gauge performance and
to identify problems. Educational therapists are specially
trained to use tests to identify issues which are not dependent
upon skills that are part of the deficit. As an example,
children with language delays shouldn't be tested with language
based performance tests. The end result will not accurately
reflect the capabilities or strengths of the child and may lead
to an improper diagnosis and inadequate treatment. |
