Kids living with learning exceptionalities

Most children start school with an optimistic outlook on the first day. Your son may head off with a scrubbed face and a brand-new school bag, eager to learn. Then, somewhere between kindergarten and grade two, his enthusiasm starts to wane. He may seem reluctant to go to school, or his self-esteem may be suddenly in decline. If this happens, you might consider behavioural change a sign that he has a learning problem at school.

Trust your instincts

Research shows that a parent usually has a gut feeling that something isn't quite right in the way her child's skills are developing. Similarly, if you notice at a later age that there's a discrepancy between what you believe your child is capable of and what he's accomplishing in language or mathematics, consider whether this signals an exceptionality. Of course, the parents of a child coping with a physical or developmental challenge will usually have been involved for several months or even years in attending to and advocating for their child's special needs. But some children cope quite well with less visible disabilities through early childhood and even through the primary grades. In the classroom environment, where children of the same age are expected to progress at a similar rate, the gap begins to widen in grade three at the ages of eight to nine. The challenges of the curriculum begin to overwhelm their coping strategies and make their difficulties more obvious to either parents or teachers.

At this time, special talents as well as learning disabilities become more apparent. Both the students with special talents or academic gifts and the students with less visible learning disabilities are often grouped as students who require "special education." Some provinces group under this term all children with exceptionalities -- the developmentally challenged, the physically challenged, the gifted and talented. It's education policy in most provinces now to include students with exceptionalities in regular classrooms. Classroom teachers must attempt to respond to the learning needs and learning styles of all students. The right to specialized training or an individualized program of study depends on a formal assessment by an educational psychologist and the recommendations that evolve from that. You might investigate what the specific guidelines and requirements are within your province or board.

What is an assessment?

Ideally, the assessment begins with your child's classroom teacher reviewing with you your child's schoolwork, report cards, and the results of any general tests administered in the school. If there is reason to think that your child has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), the teacher might also suggest a medical assessment by a pediatrician. Medical assessments within the public health system can be arranged through your family doctor. Academic assessments by an educational psychologist employed by the school board are also publicly funded. However, there may be a long wait, anywhere from five months to two years.

Parents may decide to arrange and pay for a private assessment (fees range from $800 to $1,500). The faculty of education at a nearby university or the child development clinic at a hospital may offer subsidized assessments. The Learning Disabilities Association of Canada, with over 60 chapters across Canada, can provide a list of recommended psychologists. If you choose this route, ensure that the school agrees to recognize the private psychologist's findings.