Is Your Child Headed for Success In School?

National Center for Learning Disabilities' Checklist Provides Early Warning Detection of Potential Learning Disabilities

Source

National Center for Learning Disabilities
via
PRNewswire

Forums

Related Articles

NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 1998 -- Approximately one in five children will experience some problems with learning during their primary school years. For children with undetected learning disabilities, the first day of school is often filled with anxiety and frustration over their inability to keep up with their classmates. According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), an estimated 2.5 million children in the United States have been identified with learning disabilities. Now that the school year is about to begin, it is increasingly important for parents, caregivers, and teachers to know how to detect learning disabilities early.

NCLD has created an easy-to-use Learning Disabilities Awareness Checklist which offers pointers about the early warning signs of learning disabilities. This checklist is designed for parents, caregivers and educators of children 4-7 years of age and highlights a number of educational and behavioral areas where young children may have problems. Though children may exhibit difficulties with some of these skills from time to time, displaying one or more of these characteristics for an extended period of time should be a signal to seek further information and assistance. As the checklist indicates, difficulty with the following characteristics could indicate that a child has a learning disability:

-- Learning the alphabet
-- Rhyming words
-- Connecting sounds and letters
-- Copying letters and numbers
-- Learning new vocabulary
-- Retelling stories
-- Counting
-- Remembering newly learned information
-- Paying attention
-- Playing with peers
-- Moving from one activity to another
-- Following directions and routines

Early diagnosis and intervention are critical for a child with a learning disability. Without early treatment, children are at risk for more serious effects of the disability including low self-esteem, poor literacy skills, truancy, potential for dropping out of school and other more serious problems. In many cases, direct intensive instruction and some modification in routines and support are all that are necessary to help the child.

"If left untreated or ignored, learning disabilities can undermine a child's success during the early school years. Early identification is the key to heading off frustration and failure," said Dr. Sheldon H. Horowitz, Acting Executive Director and Director of Professional Services at the NCLD. NCLD urges parents and teachers seeking assistance for children with learning disabilities to research the topic by tapping into the wealth of information made available by experts in the field. Once identified, it is important for parents, teachers and other help providers to understand the child's needs and to monitor progress throughout the evaluation and treatment process.

NCLD provides resources to assist the parent or educator's search for information. To obtain a free copy of the Learning Disabilities Awareness Checklist or additional information on learning disabilities, write or call NCLD, 381 Park Avenue South, Suite 1401, New York, NY 10016; 212-545-7510, or toll-free, 888-575-7373.

The NCLD website, http://www.ncld.org, offers current and accurate information about learning disabilities and provide sup-to-date resources for information and assistance.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), a national, not-for-profit, voluntary organization, is dedicated to improving the lives of the millions of Americans affected by learning disabilities. Services include: national information and referral programs; educational programs; public outreach and communications; and legislative advocacy and public policy. In June, 1998, NCLD received its largest single contribution of one million dollars from Anne Ford, daughter of the late Henry Ford II, to advance awareness of learning disabilities, with a particular emphasis on underprivileged communities. SOURCE National Center for Learning Disabilities

Web site: http://www.ncld.org

CONTACT: Janet Weinstein of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, 212-545-7510, or Sara Joseph of Burson-Marsteller, 212-614-5149, for the National Center for Learning Disabilities