Early warning signs of learning difficulties

Published: 01 Jul 2022 Tagged: childrenCommunicationearly interventionearly signsearly warning signsK-4kindergartenlearning differenceslearning difficultieslearning disorderspreschoolerpreschoolersprimary schoolersSpeakablespeech and language pathologyspeech language pathologistspeech pathologistSpeech Pathology

Learning to recognise the warning signs of learning difficulties and getting children the treatment they need as soon as possible can be critical to a child's bright future. As a result, parents must be aware of the early signs of a learning disability in order to receive the appropriate assistance as soon as possible. The earlier a learning difficulty is identified, the higher a child's chances of academic and life success. From as early as pre-school, parents are encouraged to recognise the warning signs of a learning issue. For a young child, the early years of school are vital.

Between the ages of preschool and fourth grade, there are various early warning indicators that are typically connected with learning difficulties. Many young children display one or two of these behaviours; however, persistent issues with a collection of behaviours is a sign that your kid may have a learning disability:

Preschool early warning signs

• Late talking when compared to other kids
• Pronunciation difficulties
• Slow vocabulary growth, often unable to find the right word
• Difficulty rhyming words
• Difficulty learning numbers, the alphabet, days of the week
• Very restless and easily distracted
• Difficulty interacting and communicating with peers
• Poor ability to follow directions or routines

K-4 early warning signs

• Slow learning about the connection between letters and sounds
• Confusion with basic words such as ‘run’, ‘eat’ or ‘want’
• Consistent errors related to reading and spelling activities, such as letter reversals (b/d), inversions (m/w), transpositions (felt/left), or substitutions (house/home)
• Number sequence transpositions and confusion related to arithmetic signs (+, -, x, /, =)
• Slow recall of facts
• Slow learning of new skills, heavy reliance on memorisation
• Impulsiveness, lack of planning
• Unstable pencil grip
• Difficulty when learning about time
• Poor coordination, unaware of physical surroundings, prone to accidents

It's always rewarding to see a child strive for and achieve communication milestones, but it's even more rewarding to assist them in overcoming obstacles ahead of time. If you suspect your kid is displaying early signs of learning difficulties, seek help as soon as possible. Speakable's staff of SLPs is available to give skill assessments and treatment plans; please do not hesitate to get in touch with us and read this other blogpost about how to identify early signs of speech disorders.