What signs would you notice?
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Learning disabilities such as dyslexia are not uncommon among schoolchildren and can be overlooked by teachers when children have developed effective coping mechanisms.
So what would you see at home that could indicate your child should be screened?
“Often, you may see the child’s frustration,” said Jenny Hutkowski, director of family and youth education at Starbridge that serves Upstate New York. “It can look like acting out, avoiding homework or maybe not being able to complete the assignments or being secretive about assignments.”
Sometimes, a child may struggle to complete homework because of big gaps in critical skills because a learning disability has kept them from adequately progressing.
Hutkowski added that at a parent-teacher conference, a child’s teacher may also bring up behavioral issues, such as the child needing to use the restroom during math class or talking with a neighbor during class. These strategies help a child with a learning disability avoid facing the embarrassment of not finishing the assigned homework or floundering at the chalkboard.
How learning disabilities manifest varies between the genders. Hutkowski said that boys tend to act out more. Boys may become the class clown to distract from poor performance, defy teachers to win classmates’ approval or bully other students to feel better about themselves.
“Girls tend to fly under the radar,” Hutkowski said. “They may develop coping skills and not even realize it.”
For example, instead of memorizing addition facts, a girl with dyscalculia may use an analog clock’s numbers to count up and arrive at the correct answer. Students can discover creative ways to skirt tasks made difficult by the disability and for a while, hide their challenges.
A boy with dyslexia who struggles with reading may declare he “hates reading” or that “reading is for sissies” but in reality, feels frustrated that he’s not keeping up with his peers.
Until a student receives an evaluation, it’s not certain that a learning disability exists or if a child is acting out.
It may also help to compare the child’s overall grades with the area of struggle. If only one subject receives consistent D and F grades — despite good effort — while the rest are in the A and B range, it may indicate a learning disability.
Receiving a diagnosis early provides many benefits for children. Because of lack of providers nationwide, sometimes children do not receive early enough diagnosis to receive early intervention.
“We certainly see it when children make it into our preschool,” said Christine Sheffer, doctor of education and superintendent of schools with Mary Cariola Center in Rochester. “Sometimes it’s apparent which students were on a waiting list for early intervention. For example, they’ve lost an opportunity because learning language typically happens rapidly during that early intervention time.”
Mary Cariola Center provides school- and community-based programming and support for people with complex disabilities and also services that assist their families.
Any parents with concerns about their children’s ability to learn should contact an organization such as Mary Cariola Center or their local school district to get more information about resources available in the community.