| Babies grow at an incredible rate. Parents watch in | | | | these baseline functions, the abilities to keep with the |
| amazement as their beautiful infant baby suddenly | | | | learning requirements over time will be difficult for the |
| becomes a toddler, then a pre-schooler, and so on. | | | | child. Some of the early warning signs of possible |
| Suddenly the one little develops from the point of | | | | learning problems recorded in the literature are as |
| needing consistent attention for satisfaction of their | | | | follows: |
| needs to the self-sufficient child who wants to do | | | | - Late talkers based on developmental scales and |
| everything for him/herself. Babies and young children | | | | limited vocabulary knowledge and expression. |
| are different and develop their skills at varying rates. | | | | - Delayed in motor developments such as walking, |
| However through the study of child growth and | | | | standing, pulling up, or holding/manipulating objects. |
| development, there are established times in which one | | | | - Lack of interest in books and in nursery rhymes or |
| expects certain physical, cognitive, and behavioral | | | | understanding rhyming words. |
| developments to occur. Early identification of | | | | - Difficulty in remembering names of letters and relating |
| developmental delays is critical to the remediation of | | | | them to their sounds. |
| any affected area of delay. | | | | - Problems in saying the alphabet or counting. |
| One area of need in early identification of problem is | | | | - Inability to understand simple directions and remember |
| that of literacy - the skills of reading and writing. | | | | routines. |
| Children begin acquiring the skills for literacy very | | | | - Difficulty in paying attention and being easily |
| young, well before any parent even thinks about a | | | | distracted. |
| potential problem in their child's ability to read and write. | | | | - Comprehension problems for basic language |
| Emergent literacy actually begins at birth and continues | | | | information. |
| through the years prior to beginning school! It is during | | | | Learning is like constructing a building: in order for the |
| the years of speech and language development that | | | | building to have strength and stability, a firm foundation |
| young brains are networking the understanding and | | | | must first be laid. Without this foundation, the building will |
| expression of their language systems - the systems | | | | not support continued upward growth. As a Speech |
| of organizing and relating ideas, thoughts, and | | | | Language Pathologist of many years and one who |
| communication needs into a multi-sensory environment. | | | | specializes in processing and learning disorders, I |
| One may be surprised that the foundations of reading | | | | understand the frustrations parents have when their |
| and writing begin so early, however the truth is that | | | | children are identified with learning disabilities or |
| children begin making impressions of written information | | | | problems after attending school for two, three, or more |
| very young as they watch and monitor their | | | | years. Every school grade is a building process of |
| environment. | | | | learning and without a firm foundation, children cannot |
| According to the regulations for Public Law (P.L.) | | | | comprehend and learn more advanced material |
| 101-476 which is entitled The Individuals with Disabilities | | | | content. For children identified late, filling in the gap |
| Education Act (IDEA), the definition of Learning | | | | becomes extremely difficult or sometimes impossible. |
| Disability is "a disorder in one or more of the basic | | | | The answer to this problem is helping the child before |
| psychological processes involved in understanding or in | | | | they even begin pre-K for the developmental |
| using spoken or written language, which may manifest | | | | foundations that are necessary to learn basic |
| itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, | | | | academic skills. Simple learning activities and learning |
| write, spell or to do mathematical calculations." The | | | | strategies can be incorporated into a child's normal, |
| National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 4.6 | | | | exploratory day to encourage development of neural |
| million people in the United States have some type of | | | | networking patterns necessary for learning success. |
| learning disability. A learning disability may manifest itself | | | | In summary, success can most effectively be gained |
| with one or more of the following diagnoses: Dyslexia, | | | | for children at risk for learning problems and disabilities |
| Auditory Processing Disorder, Visual Processing | | | | by early identification of delay. Developmental and |
| Disorder, Dysgraphia, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) | | | | incremental physical, cognitive, and language |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Deficit (ADHD), Reading | | | | acquisitions are foundational for learning. It is essential |
| Comprehension Disorder, Alexia, or Sensory Integration | | | | that the underlying root cause of a problem be |
| Disorder (SID). | | | | uncovered and remedied for the building blocks of |
| It is important to know that learning with disabilities is | | | | learning to successfully take place. With early and |
| possible. Critical to this is identification of potential | | | | correct diagnosis, children dealing with the affects of |
| learning difficulties at an early stage in the development | | | | learning disorders can achieve more productively and |
| process. Attacking deficits early can aid significantly to | | | | effectively in their pursuit of personal life goals and |
| the child's ability to establish the foundations needed for | | | | ambitions. |
| reading and writing. If a child begins school without | | | | |