If your child suffers from a learning disorder, you are not alone. In fact, by some estimates, learning disabilities affect up to 30% of children. This can include difficulty with speech, hearing, reading, writing or math. Many times, children perceive their struggles in the classroom as failure, leading them to act out or even withdraw from their peers.
Our team includes psychologists and other mental health specialists can help your child manage and overcome the isolating feelings that can trigger learning-related behavioral problems. Working with you, your child’s teachers and others, we develop a treatment plan to meet your child’s individual needs. The result? A youngster with the confidence to move beyond the disability.
Contact us today for more information or to schedule a confidential consultation.
Diagnosis
Diagnosing a learning disability is a multi-step process that usually begins and takes place at school.
Our counselors and mental health specialists are part of the team that helps determine if your child has a learning disability. While teachers and school administrators look at test results that measure how a student is learning, the staff at Nulton Diagnostic and Treatment Center provide comprehensive assessments and evaluations that focus on other issues that could be affecting academics, such as:
- What are the classroom dynamics?
- Can the student take care of himself?
- Is she interacting with her peers in an appropriate way?
- Are tasks structured in a practical way to help the child succeed?
A neuropsychological exam may also be performed to evaluate mental functions such as language, memory, and perception.
Results of findings from teachers and school administrators, the child’s family doctor and our assessments will determine the diagnosis.
Treatment
As teachers and school administrators work with your child to strengthen classroom skills, our specialists can help your child work through the wide range of emotions that often come with a learning disability diagnosis – frustration, anger, guilt or other feelings of inadequacy.
Our three-pronged approach is offered in our office, at school or at home and can include:
- One-on-one counseling to help children gain greater self-control and develop a more positive outlook about their personal strengths.
- Behavior modification exercises to reinforce appropriate behavior. For the best outcomes, parents and other family members should be involved and carry out the exercises at home.
- Practical classroom recommendations that build on a child’s strengths, such as teachers making eye contact with children who have an attention disorder.
- Treatment plans are tailored to meet a child’s individual needs and may include some or all of these components.
Resources
Members of our team can answer any questions you may have about the behavioral impact of learning disorders and what to expect as your child grows. For more general information, you can also visit:
