Learning difficulties – when should you seek help?

Diagnosing learning difficulties in young children isn’t always ‘black and white’ – many conditions associated with learning difficulties are experienced by children who don’t have any significant learning problems. However, a pronounced difficulty in one or more of the areas mentioned in this article may indicate that a professional opinion is necessary to diagnose the problem.

Every child is different, but there are certain developmental milestones that indicate the age at which a child should be able to do something. If the child hasn’t reached the developmental milestone by the recommended age, this may indicate a learning difficulty of some kind.

 By age one, a child should be able to:

• say “Mama”
• play ‘peek-a-boo’
• wave ‘bye-bye’
• respond to his name
• sit up on his own

Age two developmental milestones:

• say the names of a few toys
• imitate parents
• seem capable of identifying eyes, ears, nose and mouth
• walk unaided

Age three developmental milestones:

• repeat simple rhymes
• enjoy playing alone with toys
• understand simple stories
• navigate stairs

Age four:

• talk in short sentences
• enjoy playing with other children
• give correct answers to simple questions
• balance on one foot

Age five:

• understood outside the family
• sharing or taking turns
• understanding the words “yesterday,” “today” and “tomorrow”
• capable of throwing overhand
• catching a ball

Symptoms in youngsters and adults:
As children get older, it can actually become more difficult to accurately diagnose a learning difficulty, since the developmental milestones aren’t as rigid. However, there are signs one can look out for:

• He has difficulty understanding spoken directions.
• He has trouble pronouncing a word until someone says it for him.
• He tries to treat people well, but often says something inappropriate.
• He has difficulty following written instructions.
• In writing, he leaves out or reverses words or letters.
• He knows his way around town until a street is torn up or a building is removed.
• He usually mismatches clothes.
• He is disorganized and can’t find belongings.
• He is clumsy.
• He has poor coordination in writing or drawing.
• He is easily annoyed.
• He tends to act impulsively.
• He is either extremely over- or under-active.
• He has a short attention span.

If a combination of these characteristics is pronounced, it’s recommended that parents or teachers seek a diagnosis from a professional who specialises in learning disabilities and behavioural problems.