#BTColumn – The worst thing you can do is nothing

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by this author are their own and do not represent the official position of the Barbados Today.

by Julia Hanschell

Online learning is especially difficult for two groups of students. Those who are in early primary and students who have an obvious learning challenge.

What should a parent look for? Early on, very generally, are those children who have had a difficult birth, have discernable hearing or sight problems; those who did not crawl between sitting up and standing and any who were late talkers.

There are several other ‘markers’ as well, but the above are the most basic. By the age of seven, there are Psych-Educational Assessments that can be carried out by registered Clinical or Educational Psychologists to pinpoint specific or relative areas of strength and weakness in how a child accesses information in general, and language in particular.

Although we remember in pictures, we think with language and this governs our ability to take the raw material of what is read or heard, synthesise this information, critically think and communicate with others.

At a fundamental level, if you want to informally gauge any challenges your child may have at school, you can do two things.

Around age eight, (the age that governs a population’s literacy), have them read a passage from a novel, as decoding any word should be neurotypically developed by then.

And have them write six to eight sentences describing a pet, a family outing or something familiar, rather than imagined.

In writing, which most students hate to do more than anything else, almost any challenge is apparent. From organizational issues and sequencing of thoughts, to vocabulary and spelling and the syntax and mechanics of language.

Trust your ‘gut’ instinct because by seven or eight years old, parents and teachers notice learning issues, although either may have suspected something was not right before then.

The ideal is to properly assess, as soon as possible, correctly, and in enough depth, that effective recommendations can be applied at home and at school and the correct type(s) of intervention take place. By the age of twelve, the battle to remediate becomes more complex for several reasons, so parents need to act early.

My best advice is to discuss your concerns with your child’s Paediatrician and if an assessment is warranted, not to choose someone who will carry this out based on the cost.

Pinpointing learning issues involves a battery of specific testing tools, which are expensive diagnostic tests that should be current.

Only those trained and registered should carry them out and once completed, the results should be explained in detail. Diagnosis is only the beginning; what you do with it is what matters.

The worst thing you can do is nothing; you need to understand your child’s mind and how it specifically works before you can develop a strategy to impact change. You cannot hit a target without having one.

Buyer beware! Educational Assessments can only be undertaken by those genuinely qualified to do them and far too many people are selling diagnostic skills they do not have and carrying out inexpensive evaluations that you believe are giving you answers which you can trust.

When you have a reliable evaluation done, remediation needs to be specific to be effective. And it’s not a ‘quick fix’.

Parents play a huge role in remediation and that equates to a lifestyle change, building a skillset and the time they must invest to provide home support.

Many learning challenges are life-long, driven by genetics. Although a Dyslexic will ALWAYS be Dyslexic, they can be taught coping skills.

On the other side is the child’s unique way of seeing their world, which has strengths that can be tapped.

Dyslexics are often super creative thinkers; I once heard the speaker at a conference say, ‘the world needs Dyslexic minds’.

Similarly, your Attention Deficit child may be ‘a hunter in a farmer’s world’ and their inattention or hyperactivity may make learning onerous and frustrating.

However, there are studies that suggest ADD is an evolved trait (https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/evolution). So, it’s always a good idea to think of such diagnoses in the positive, rather than the negative.

That’s what superior remedial teachers do. They tap into the strengths, to improve the weaknesses. The objective of remediating a student with learning challenges is not merely to help them improve grades.

There is far more at stake: a child’s sense of self. Yes, we need to help them build independent learning skills and access education and to become creative problem solvers.

But without helping them acquire self-confidence and raise their self-esteem, we do not set them up for life success.

All students have the right to feel good about themselves. As parents and teachers, it’s our job to ensure that happens.

In almost thirty years, I have never met a child who does not have inherent strengths and there are many types of intelligence (https://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-research).

As any parent who has cried the tears of having a child who learns differently will tell you, ‘Get the right help and act on the hard advice.’ And most of all, acknowledge that you, as a parent, must become involved. A parent is a child’s best resource. Always.

Julia Hanschell can be contacted on smartstudying @gmail.com.