Growing up, children with disorders such as Autism, Dyscalculia, ADHD, and Dyslexia may show signs of their disability over years. Commonly, both child and parent create coping mechanisms to help the child thrive in school without externals support, but there may come a time when they would benefit most from receiving an official diagnosis, and thus gaining access to government programs such as an Individualized Educational Program (IEP).
But how do I go about getting my child a diagnosis? Don't worry, Nucleus Tutoring is here to help you step-by-step on this useful journey to receiving a Learning Disability Diagnosis.
Where To Start?
Commonly, diagnosticians benefit most in their evaluation through pattern-tracking. This tracking can be in the form of a journal kept by either parent or teacher (or better yet, both), keeping track of any abnormal behaviors observed with your child daily. Track behaviors, both physical and mental, that may be of note. If your child is able to talk with you, it may also benefit to ask them questions about how they solve problems, or what they think, they may speed up the process.
After this, booking an appointment with your family physician or physician's assistant, or Special Education Coordinator, can help with the initial evaluation. If you're not sure who to go to, your local school usually keeps a list of local resources that will help you greatly.
The Actual Evaluation
Diagnoses for different conditions are made in different manners, commonly with different small tests that your child will perform to assess their learning patterns. These tests may also take place over different amounts of time, so patience will be your best friend during this period. Evaluation input may come from multiple learning & healthcare professionals, such as a pediatrician, psychiatrist, occupational therapist, neurologist, speech & language therapist, physiotherapist, and teacher assessors. All diagnostic criteria and recommended treatments are dictated by the DSM-5, and as such we've listed some diagnostic criteria for some possible learning disabilities below.
Autism: Exhibits social interaction & communication deficits across time and context, commonly both verbal and nonverbal with repetitive behavior that develops in early childhood. Full criteria provided by Autism Speaks here.
ADHD: 6+ symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity in children 0-16 years old, with criteria dropping to 5+ symptoms after 17 years of age for diagnosis. Symptoms must be present before 12 years old, occur in 2+ different locations, and proven to interfere with daily life. Diagnosis may take long as many other learning disabilities & psychological disorders may look like ADHD. Symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity are listed by the CDC here.
Dyslexia: Multiple different reading tests are performed to assess word recognition, word decoding, and spelling ability. There are many different ways to diagnose dyslexia, so working with your local expert is the most recommended course. Specifics of testing & evaluation for dyslexia are found here.
We Received the Diagnosis. What Now?
Now is the time to begin talking with your school professionals about what types of aid may be offered to help your child succeed in class with this new diagnosis. They may suggest putting together an IEP, which they often supply help with. This may result in your child getting extra time with tests, or being able to take tests in a room separated from their usual classroom to ensure they aren't distracted. Many community and national support systems are also available. We've listed a few below:
If you're having trouble receiving an IEP for your child and/or want a specialized conversation about next steps, Nucleus Tutoring also recommends our community connection Bridging the Gap Advocacy for additional support.
If you or your child is struggling in classes or with academic mental barriers, feel free to check out the Nucleus Tutoring site for specialized tutoring and empathetic approaches to academia. Consultations are free, and we look forward to helping you or your child thrive in class today!
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