Learning Disabilities and Your Child

It’s estimated that approximately 5 percent of children in the United States have learning disabilities according to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. These disabilities can impede a child’s ability to follow along in school and process concepts normally. If you have a child that has been diagnosed with a learning disability, keep in touch with a pediatrician at Children's Physicians in Palm City, Jupiter, and Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Common Learning Disabilities
In most cases learning disabilities are congenital, meaning that children are born with these challenges. They can be hereditary, develop due to medical issues during pregnancy, or they can be caused by environmental factors. These are some of the most common learning disabilities that are diagnosed in children:

- Auditory Processing Disorder (APD).
- Language Processing Disorder (LPD).
- Dyslexia (reading challenges).
- Dysgraphia (difficulty writing).
- Dyscalculia (problems with numbers).
- Visual Perceptual/Motor Deficit (trouble drawing shapes, cutting, and coordinating with the hand).
- Non-Verbal Learning Disability (NVLD (inability to take cues from facial expression and body movements).

Solutions for Learning Disabilities
While there may not be cures for certain learning disabilities, there are things that you and your pediatrician can do to help your child. Potential solutions include: 

- An educational intervention to help build on the child’s strengths and compensate for weaknesses.
- Special learning devices or technologies.
- Qualification for special education, tutoring, or specific suggestions for teachers to implement in class (such as giving the child more time to complete assignments).
- Occupational therapy.
- Mental health referrals to help the child cope better in school.

Get Help from Children’s Physicians
It can be frustrating when your child struggles with a learning disability. Relieve some of your stress by working closely with the pediatricians at Children’s Physicians in Palm City, Jupiter, and Palm Beach Gardens, FL. With your child’s doctor on your team, you can work with your child’s school and teachers more effectively and efficiently to ensure he or she has a solid education.

Talk to a Specialist
It’s best to talk to a specialist when your child has special needs and requires assistance with a learning disability. Call Children’s Physicians, which has locations in Palm City, Jupiter, and Palm Beach Gardens, FL today to schedule a visit.