Between 10 and 15% of the school population suffers from a learning disorder. This percentage, which has increased year after year, does not demonstrate that more children suffer from them, but rather that more are being diagnosed. In every classroom, there is a child with dyslexia, which is the most frequent disorder, followed by those derived from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyscalculia.
At ISEP, we have been training experts in learning and early intervention since 1984, and we believe that coordination among parents, teachers, and pediatricians is essential to detect these cases as early as possible and prevent the child from suffering from academic failure. The usual path when a learning problem is detected at school is to communicate it to the parents, who then decide to take the child to the pediatrician, who normally refers them to a psychologist. But this process is not always fast; some parents decide to wait for the child to mature, or some teachers wait to analyze their progress. In these cases, neither parents, teachers, nor pediatricians have adequate training in childhood learning disorders, and the intervention of a professional is indispensable to correctly diagnose and initiate their remedial education and ensure that this difficulty does not prevent them from continuing their learning.
Many cases of academic failure at advanced ages (secondary or high school) are the result of a poor early diagnosis: the child is labeled as lazy, distracted, etc. But some of them suffer from undiagnosed learning disorders, which end up degenerating into school dropout and with added problems derived from low self-esteem. These are adolescents who try hard but do not achieve positive results, which leads them to become discouraged and give up.
The pediatrician and teacher are a source of trust for many parents with doubts. Their prescription is essential for the child to receive the necessary attention from a psychologist or psychopedagogue who will initiate their remedial education, without the need for medication. It is not always about learning problems categorized as such, but rather that the child’s brain functions at a different pace than the rest of the class or uses different tools than those proposed in the classroom to acquire knowledge. Working jointly with a learning specialist multiplies their chances of success. Remedial education is about offering a child the best study techniques for their profile.
Professionals trained at ISEP propose solutions that involve the creation of specific programs for their difficulty, in which more personalized and multidisciplinary attention is essential. They must transmit studies to children in a more attractive way and spread enthusiasm for learning. Without forgetting that family involvement is necessary to achieve these goals. Finally, faced with any learning difficulty in a child or student, prevention, a neuropsychological evaluation, and the development of a specific intervention program for the problem are paramount, where the child will be helped to compensate for their learning difficulties.
Early intervention is the best ally for Intervention in learning difficulties as it is outlined as the most effective evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment technique to ensure children adequate development and a successful future both academically and socially.