Learning Disorders

Dyslexia, Dysgraphia and Dyscalculia

Dyslexia is a fairly common condition affecting approximately 10 per cent of the population. Unfortunately many children may not be diagnosed until Grade 3 or 4, which makes their early years in school difficult and affects their self-confidence.

Dyslexia is caused by differences in the ways the brain works and is not related to IQ, in fact, many dyslexics are highly intelligent and creative.

If you or your child’s teacher suspect your child may have dyslexia, it is important to obtain a professional assessment for dyslexia as early as possible to ensure your child is supported with appropriate strategies.

An early diagnosis means children with dyslexia will be more likely to avoid the self-confidence issues that they often develop in the classroom.

Click here to find out more about dyslexia.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ADHD is a neurological disorder that interferes with a child’s ability to succeed at school, even if they are clearly intelligent. The three main problems they exhibit are inattention, impulsivity and overactivity.

Since all children may show these behaviours to a certain extent, it is important that a child who potentially has a type of ADHD, is properly diagnosed by a professional.

There are a number of ADHD symptoms in children that have to be persistent in order for a child to be diagnosed with ADHD.

Once diagnosed, children with ADHD can be successfully treated. Neurofeedback is now seen as a most effective psychological intervention for children with ADHD and this is a service we offer at Directions – Paychologists.

Using EEG’s to map the brains activity, we can ‘rewire’ the brain and teach it to calm down and concentrate.

Click here for more information on neurofeedback.

Central Auditory Processing Disorder

Children with Central Auditory Processing Disorder have normal hearing but they are not able to distinguish meaningful messages from non-essential background noise.

In other words, they can hear but they have a problem with processing and interpreting what they hear.

Gifted Child Testing

While gifted children may not have a problem with learning, the fact that they have a greater intellectual capacity than their peers, means that they may be bored in school and this presents as difficult behaviours in the classroom.

If your child is experiencing problems at school and you suspect they may be gifted, it is useful to consider gifted child testing.

Once they are officially identified as gifted, appropriate strategies can be put in place with the school to ensure that the child is kept stimulated and interested enough in the classroom to perform to their ability.

Memory Deficits

Memory loss in children is usually characterised by the inability to reproduce or retain details which are usual for the child to remember. If you are concerned an assessment is the best solution to work out what type of memory problems the child is experiencing. Treatment depends on the root of the problem. If it is a minor problem and has been detected early it can be assisted by therapies and changing learning approaches.