Delay, difficulty, or disability? Understanding the difference
Many children
experience delays in reaching their milestones, and around five percent
of children have some form of learning difficulty. If there are concerns
about your child’s development, health professionals will use terms
like “developmental delay” in your child’s early years. This does not
always mean that your child has a learning disability.
| Q: |
Global developmental delay, learning difficulty, or learning disability?
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If your child’s development is significantly delayed in a number
of areas, she may be described as having a “global developmental
delay.” When she is older and her abilities can be assessed more
accurately, this term may be changed to learning disability. A learning
disability is a pocket of relative weakness within the child’s overall
capacity to learn. Some children have relative weaknesses reading
written language, writing, understanding spoken language, or putting
their ideas into words. Only two to three percent of children have a
learning disability, and 80 percent of these are mild. If your child
does not meet the criteria, she will be referred to as having learning
difficulties. Sometimes these terms are used interchangeably, which is
confusing for parents. Ask professionals to clarify what they’re saying
if you’re not sure.
If your child has a
learning problem, it may take her longer to learn how to do certain
tasks, she will require more support at home and school, and she will
perform at a lower level than her peers. She may also experience some
difficulties in managing her behavior and emotions. Some children are
born with genetic conditions, such as Down’s syndrome, that result in
some learning disabilities. In most cases, however, the exact cause of a
child’s difficulties is unknown.
If the difficulties
were picked up at a routine doctor’s visit, you may already be in
contact with specialists who will arrange testing as necessary. If
learning problems have become apparent since school started, you could
be referred to an educational psychologist. You can also talk to your
pediatrician about referral to a specialist, clinical psychologist,
nurse specialist, speech and language therapist, or occupational or
physiotherapist.
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| Q: |
What can I do to help?
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Your regular strategies at home may need to be adapted to your
child’s special needs, so attending a parenting group for children with
additional needs could be helpful. Break tasks down into small steps to
help her learn and give lots of praise, making it clear exactly what you
are pleased with. Keep your instructions short and to the point; using
pictures can help. Raising a child with learning problems is demanding,
but there is lots of support and help out there.
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Encouragement
Learning problems can
result in low self-esteem and feelings of frustration, so make sure your
child has plenty of time to engage in activities that he or she enjoys
as well.
Autistic spectrum disorders A complex condition
An autistic spectrum
disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that affects the way
your child understands the world and how he relates to others. ASD is an
umbrella term that includes autism, high functioning autism, and
Asperger’s syndrome. Everyone with an ASD has difficulties in three main
areas: communication and social interaction, rigid thinking, and
behavior. These are known as the “triad of impairments.” Children with
very low, average, or high intelligence may have an ASD. Boys are three
to four times more likely to receive this diagnosis.
| Q: |
What does it mean for my child?
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Children with an ASD will experience difficulties in
understanding the social rules of communication, relating to other
people in a meaningful way, being flexible, and using imagination.
However, all children are affected differently. For example, some may
struggle to develop language, whereas others may have excellent language
skills but only want to talk about their particular interest. Some
children may also be hyper- (over) or hypo- (under) sensitive in one or
more of their senses. Intense interests and routines are also common.
Some of these
behaviors are also found in children who do not have an ASD. For
example, if your child is very interested in a particular cartoon
character, he may have books, toys, themed clothing, sheets, bedroom
curtains, and favorite DVDs of them that he watches over and over again.
The list of behaviors associated with ASD is very broad, and having a
handful of traits does not mean your child is autistic. Children with an
ASD have a unique way of looking at the world, which can result in
particular strengths, such as the ability to focus on detail and an
excellent memory.
A very small
number of individuals (known as autistic savants) have exceptional
mathematical, memory, artistic, or musical skills. These abilities
include calendar memory (for example, calculating the day of the week
for any given date in history in seconds), in-depth knowledge of
particular subjects, and the ability to draw fantastically detailed
scenes from memory alone or to play complex pieces of music after
hearing them just once.
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| Q: |
How do I get my child assessed?
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If you think that your child might have an ASD, speak to your
pediatrician, who can arrange for referral to a specialist. Assessments
are usually conducted by at least two of the following professionals:
pediatrician, psychiatrist, speech and language therapist, educational
or clinical psychologist, or neurologist.
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| Q: |
What causes it?
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At present the exact causes of ASDs are unknown. Various
theories have been proposed, and many experts believe that the wide
range of behaviors associated with an ASD may not result from a single
cause. A number of recent research studies have concluded that there is
absolutely no link between the MMR vaccine and autism, and the original
study that established a link has been widely discredited. There is no
evidence that single vaccines are safer or as effective. One thing that
is known for certain is that parents are not responsible for their
child’s difficulties with ASD.
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| Q: |
What can I do to help?
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Individuals with an ASD may have a wide range of difficulties,
so working closely with professionals from health, education, and social
perspectives will result in the best outcome for your child. There is
no cure at present. However, early intervention can help you understand
the unique ways in which having an ASD affects your child, and will help
you promote communication skills, build your child’s relationships, and
manage difficult behavior. Speak to your pediatrician or one of the
national organizations that represent people with ASDs to find out about
groups and courses in your area.
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Helping hand
A child with an ASD may struggle in a number of areas. However, early intervention and support will make things easier.
Child genius
A very few
children with autism, known as autistic savants, display amazing
abilities such as enhanced musical or mathematical skills.
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