Learning Disabilities (LDs)
Your child might be suffering in silence from a Learning Disability and no matter how much he/she will try, without the correct diagnosis and intervention life in school can be very difficult.
Questions to ask yourself:
- Is something telling you that your child could do better in school?
- Have you received recent complaints from teachers about your child’s performance in school?
- In spite of learning new things every day your child doesn’t seem to progress?
- Is homework time a struggle and is your child avoiding it?
- Do you feel your child becomes upset when it comes to certain academic subjects?
Learning Disabilities are a group of disorders that affect the cognitive ability of the child’s brain to process information. Learning disabilities are different from intellectual disabilities, sensory impairments or autism spectrum disorders and it is very important to make the correct diagnosis. Children that suffer from Learning Disabilities generally are average or above-average intelligence but still struggle with their performance in school or at home. The sooner they are recognized and identified, the sooner we can offer the corresponding support to the child suffering from it and prevent secondary emotional effects, such as low self-esteem, lack of confidence or reduced assertiveness.
It is much easier to make an intervention on a Learning Disability but so much harder to change a child’s self-concept or stopping him from worrying too much. We can prevent these side effects by assessing children and understanding their cognitive profile in order to offer them support and ensure a smooth learning progress.
The sign of a learning disability is very simple: an unexplained gap between what I believe my child can do and what he/she is achieving in school. It is essential not to confuse this type of difficulty with ADHD or any emotional and behavioral disorder. A full psychological evaluation should be conducted by a professional and should include multiple sources such as interviews with parents, teachers, standardized and informal tests, and direct clinical observation.
See the chart below for specific types of learning disabilities.
| LD Terminology | |||
| Disability | Area of difficulty | Symptoms include trouble with | Example |
| Dyslexia | Processing language |
|
Confusing letter names and sounds, difficulties blending sounds into words, slow rate of reading, trouble remembering after reading text |
| Dyscalculia | Math skills |
|
Difficulty learning to count by 2s, 3s, 4s, poor mental math skills, problems with spatial directions |
| Dysgraphia | Written expression |
|
Illegible handwriting, difficulty organizing ideas for writing |
| Dyspraxia | Fine motor skills |
|
Trouble with scissors, buttons, drawing |
| Information Processing Disorders | |||
| Auditory Processing Disorder |
Interpreting auditory information |
|
Difficulty anticipating how a speaker will end a sentence |
| Visual Processing Disorder |
Interpreting visual information |
|
Difficulty distinguishing letter like “h” and “n” |
At GMCClinics we offer an assessment package to target learning disabilities. Our Clinical Psychologist, Alina Vasilache, follows a systemic psychological intervention and believes in the benefits of involving the whole family in the process of psychological support.
Total cost of assessment package: 5000 AED
The package includes:
- 1 Initial Parent Consultation (500AED)
- 3 Individual Sessions with the child (4500AED)
- Written Report
- 1 Feed-back Session with the parents
To make an appointment with Alina Vasilache, please call your preferred clinic:
Jumeirah: 04 349 4880
Tecom: 04 567 688
Alternatively you can contact Alina directly via email on: safeplace@gmcclinics.com.
