Does Your Child Need Extra Help in the Classroom?

Every parent wants their child to succeed in school, both academically and socially. You want your child to have a great learning experience with as little frustration as possible, to cultivate a love of learning. You also want your child to be able to become an effective communicator and be able to socialize well with others. However, sometimes there are roadblocks on the road to education. These problems can become crippling if left unattended, but with proper treatment, can be overcome. The key to success is early detection.

Symptoms:

Your child is:

• unable to sit still
• constantly talking and interrupting others
  
• having difficulty completing a task
  
• having difficulty following directions
  
• having difficulty following rules in a game
  
• easily distracted
  
• having difficulty remembering things
  
• frequently losing homework, toys, or other items
  
• making careless mistakes or has trouble paying attention to detail
  

Chances are that your child has ADD (Attention-Deficit Disorder) or ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). A common misconception is that children who have ADD or ADHD, are always troublemakers or extremely active. This is not always the case. There are many children who have ADD/ADHD, who are quiet, non-disruptive students who simply have trouble concentrating on directions, a task, details, or recalling things. It is important to be attentive to a pattern in schoolwork, and homework. If you notice your child is constantly losing his or her homework, bringing home poor grades, or has difficulty finishing his or her homework, schedule a conference with your child's teacher.
(http://helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_signs_symptoms.htm)

Your child is:

• mispronouncing words -- for example "wed and gween" for "red and green" in second or third grade.
• substituting words when reading -- for example "The small boy wept..." is the text, but they read, "The small boy cried..."
• misspelling words -- especially common non-phonetic words such as "what", "where", "they", or "because."
• making numerous crossouts, erasings, etc. when attempting to write
• avoiding writing whenever possible
• not noticing errors when "proofreading" but instead reads back what they intended to say
• using odd spacing when writing -- ignores margins, words unevenly spread out or packed tightly together.
• having difficulty keeping anything organized
  
• having difficulty telling time on an analog clock (clock with hands)

Your child might be Dyslexic. Though no two cases of Dyslexia are the same, it is very important that if you suspect your child is Dyslexic, to have him or her checked out immediately. The longer he or she struggles without treatment, the more difficult it will be for him or her to catch up. In some cases, a child has both Dyslexia and ADD/ADHD.

Your child is

• expressing fear about the upcoming school year
• slow getting ready for school and unwilling to get on the bus or get out of the car at school
• not talking about events at school, about friends, or class activities
• losing weight
• generally "shy"

Your child may be more than just shy. Some children suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder or Social Phobias. A child will be afraid to talk to unfamiliar people, be slow to make new friends, and struggle in group projects. It is rather difficult to discern whether your child is just bashful or whether there is a genuine problem as most of his or her social interaction will take place at school. However, if you know that your child is generally shy around people, and he or she isn't opening up and talking about his or her day at school, then you should contact his or her teacher to inquire about your child's in-class behavior. Again, the sooner your child's problem is recognized, the better. A child has to get acclimated to speaking in front of others, let they struggle for class projects, presentations, and later college presentations and job interviews.

Always remember that early detection is the key to successful therapy. There are many other obstacles to learning, such as detecting poor eyesight, detecting hearing loss, as well as various abnormalities in the brain which could lead to problems with reading, speech, mathematics, or socializing. However, one of the most wonderful things about children is that they always rise to your expectations. Be supportive and expect great things... and they'll deliver.