MY CHILD IS STRUGGLING ACADEMICALLY, HOW CAN I HELP?
As a psychologist that often works with school age children and adolescents, this is a question I frequently get from parents. As a parent, there are few things that are more disheartening than watching your child have difficulty performing and functioning in a school setting. Unfortunately, the answer to this frequent query is not always straightforward.
There are many things that may contribute to poor school performance, including delayed development of early academic skills, specific learning disorders, language disorders, and behavioral or emotional difficulties. Consider the below examples which are not real, but are based on real life situations:
A Case of Specific Learning Disorder and Anxiety
Jill’s parents noticed that her grades began to show sharp declines when she began third grade. Teachers informed them towards the end of first grade that they suspected she may have reading difficulties. Starting in the fall of second grade, Jill’s school arranged for her to receive pull out instruction from a reading specialist with a small group of other children displaying similar difficulties. Minimal improvement was seen in Jill’s reading skills. By the end of second grade, Jill was now struggling in most of her classes. She would come home crying and telling her parents that she hated school and was not smart like the other children. In the morning, Jill would often say she did not feel well and appeared to be displaying school avoidance. Jill’s family sought a full comprehensive evaluation to better understand their daughter’s needs. Evaluation results revealed that Jill meet criteria for specific learning disorder with impairments in reading and social anxiety disorder. Her family learned that her main deficiency in reading was comprehension. They also learned that because of Jill’s social anxiety, she was not participating in class, did not ask questions when she did not understand presented material or assignments, and would rush through her tests due to test and performance anxiety. Her family was equipped with a report and needed recommendations to help their daughter succeed academically, as well as be the happy, carefree and confident child she once was.
A Case of Behavioral Difficulties
Mr. and Mrs. Taylor noticed early on that their youngest son, Kevin, was having trouble in school. Even before he started school, they observed that when they worked with him, they would have to repeat things over and over and it still appeared he was not retaining much of the information taught. Kevin appeared easily distracted and while working with him, he would need to be redirected back to his work numerous times. He was restless, fidgety and moved around frequently. When he started kindergarten, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor began to receive frequent notes from the school stating that Kevin was off task, easily distracted, disruptive, and often did not appear to be listening. Even with private tutoring, Kevin continued to struggle and display behavioral difficulties throughout kindergarten and the fall semester of first grade. Kevin’s report cards consistently indicated that his performance was unsatisfactory or below average in many areas. His parents were desperate to help him. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor decided to get Kevin tested by a psychologist. Results of a full comprehensive evaluation revealed that Kevin’s intellectual and academic abilities were all average or above average; intellectual functioning or learning difficulties were not indicated. Receiving this news was a major relief for the family. They also learned that Kevin met criteria for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), combined presentation and executive functioning areas that were negatively impacted were organization and working memory. Kevin’s academic functioning was severely impaired by his inability to concentrate and pay attention. They were provided with a report and a list of recommendations to help Kevin. Recommendations included behavior therapy as well as consultation with their pediatrician regarding medications that may treat symptoms of ADHD. His family was also given school-based recommendations including requesting 504 accommodations such as preferential seating and a homework folder system. Although they were reluctant, Mr. and Mrs. Taylor felt it was important that they have as much information as possible before deciding what treatments to pursue. In the end, they decided to try medication to treat Kevin’s symptoms of ADHD. Kevin is now an A/B honor roll student.
The examples above demonstrate that the key to truly understanding what things may be contributing to your child’s academic difficulties is a full comprehensive evaluation of many domains, using multiple methods of measurement, multiple informants, and over multiple settings and occasions.
A full comprehensive evaluation will allow you to observe and understand all of your child’s strengths, as well as weaknesses that may be developed and improved upon with appropriate, research-based interventions targeting these identified areas.
Book your full comprehensive school evaluation today by calling Anew Psychological Services at 281-818-6758.
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