Image Map

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Recognize Your Child's Challenges

I have no idea if Sherlock Holmes really said, “Watson, you see but you do not observe.”  Even if this is just folklore, it is a good idea to contemplate when looking at issues that need addressed with a child’s learning differences.  A good observation can tell you a lot. I would encourage you to refrain from concluding anything until the entire observation is complete.  At that time, things may be clearer to see what are the biggest issues.  Things also may be as clear as mud.  At that point, a specialist in autism or someone who does educational testing may be in order.  


Some of the areas to look are:
  • Behavior (distraction, transitioning to a new activity, frustration tolerance, meltdowns, aggression)
  • Gross Motor  (catching balls, walking in a line, general coordination)
  • Fine motor (coloring, cutting, handwriting)
  • Memory (can he remember 2 step or 3 step directions)
  • Planning and organizing (are papers and desk organized, can break a task down into manageable parts and complete them)
  • Preferred Learning Style (auditory, visual, motor or kinesthetic)
  • Social Skills (with adults and peers, friendship skills, body language)
  • Independence skills
  • Language (processing auditory, understanding figurative language, reading and listenting comprehension)
  • Spatial Abilities (Pre-math and math skills, understanding spatial language, abilities working with toys that require geometric concepts like blocks, legos, puzzles.)
  • Emotional skills (dealing with disappointment, understanding things from another’s perspective and having appropriate responses to changes that occur)

These can be observed by you, as the parent, or someone you choose.  As the observations conclude, there probably will be patterns that are seen across many places.  What is seen in the observations will help you as the parent know what type of interventions require immediate action and which ones can be a lower priority.