Assessments

+ What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a hereditary neuro developmental reading disorder, which means that children are born with dyslexia. Children with dyslexia have difficulty with recognizing and spelling words. They may also have a difficulty with understanding text. Dyslexia often becomes visible when children start to read.

There are some common mistakes children with dyslexia make. Below are some examples:

• Letters and sounds of words (called phonemes) can easily be confused, for instance ‘d’ could be confused for ‘b’ and ‘m’ for ‘n’ or the other way around.
• It could be hard to use the correct order of numbers or words, for example 14 and 41 or ‘saw’ and ‘was’.
• Difficulty memorizing correct word combinations or sequences.
• Reading slowly or skipping words while reading.
• Confusing left and right.

Along with reading difficulties children may also suffer from low self esteem, low motivation to learn and frustration.

But...it certainly isn't all doom and gloom!

Children with dyslexia may demonstrate certain strengths that children without dyslexia might not have. They often have stronger visual (analytical) and spatial skills. A lot of the time they are very creative and are great at problem solving.

+ How is dyslexia diagnosed?

There is no specific test that can diagnose dyslexia, but rather we look at different components during the diagnostic journey. The process starts with a parent consultation and along with feedback from the child’s school we start to gain a better understanding of the reading issue. Your child will then be tested to determine their level and speed of reading and spelling. During the tests our psychologists will also look at specific factors that commonly cause problems for children with dyslexia. In addition, the assessment for dyslexia always includes an intelligence test to check if there are any other issues relating to attention, auditory or visual functioning that we need to be aware of.

+ How is dyslexia treated?

While there is no ‘magic’ cure for dyslexia there are many ways to improve the reading difficulties it presents. Early identification and intervention are very important to successfully enhancing a child's reading skills.

Dyslexia interventions teach children to recognize phonemes (sounds of words) better and to comprehend what they are reading. Improving their reading speed and accuracy will also be a focus and practising reading out loud can help with this. Improving a child's vocabulary can also help to improve their language skills.

Children with dyslexia may qualify for special circumstances at school, for example they may be allowed extra time to complete tests or view their materials in a larger text format or have written questions read out loud to them.

What is important to know is that dyslexia is not something to be ashamed or afraid of. There are many people who have gone on to achieve amazing success throughout their lives. One can wonder if without the development of their other ‘superpowers’ whether they would have done the same... Maybe dyslexia was their secret sauce! Who knows? But importantly for you and your child, don’t be discouraged or disheartened by a diagnosis of dyslexia. With the right support and intervention your child can and will go on to have a wonderful and rich academic career.

+ Our Reading Specialist

At Perth Family Psychology we are pleased to offer the services of our dedicated Reading Specialist who guides and helps parents to understand the nature of their child’s reading problems. Our comprehensive reports provide actionable strategies tailored to your child's needs (as determined by the assessment) and our reading specialist will help you to figure out what to do next and will answer any questions you might have. Meet our Reading Specialist by clicking here.

+ What is dysgraphia?

Children with dysgraphia have trouble with their writing skills as difficulties are often related to their fine motor skills. They may show unclear, inconsistent and/or irregular handwriting. Children with dysgraphia often write slowly. Generally they don’t have a problem with expressing themselves; rather the difficulty comes when writing letters and words.

There are some early warning signs that parents and teachers can look out for, such as when child regularly complains about having a sore hand after writing. They can also have trouble with using the correct space of the paper, that will lead to them not having enough space left to finish the word. A lot of erasing and poor spelling are also very common.

Children with dysgraphia often have great listening skills and that can make them good at memorizing oral information. This can be very beneficial in conversation and can improve their problem solving skills.

+ How is dysgraphia diagnosed?

Dysgraphia is often diagnosed with writing tests that measure a child's academic and writing skills. Their fine motor skills will be assessed and our psychologists will examine their ability to put their thoughts into words. Often your child will be asked to copy certain words or write sentences so we can observe how they write, for example how do they hold their pencil? Any assessment we do at Perth Family Psychology includes a parent interview and will incorporate feedback from your child's school teacher or tutor.

Dysgraphia often shows comorbidity (present with another disorder) with ADHD and dyslexia.

+ How is dysgraphia treated?

There is no magic bullet cure-all for dysgraphia but the earlier a child is diagnosed and interventions started the better. Occupational and physical therapy are two treatment options that are often used for dysgraphia with the aim of improving the child's fine motor skills. An overall approach that improves motor planning, fine motor skills and gross motor skills is ideal.

There are also many things you can do as a parent/caregiver to help your child. Talk to us for tips and tricks! For example, a child with dysgraphia might benefit from paper that is clearly lined or you might want to try pencil grips. You can try some simple activities at home to help improve fine motor skills such as doing puzzles together that involve your child having to pick up and manipulate pieces...training of their pincer grasp disguised as fun!

Children with dysgraphia may qualify for special circumstances at school. For example, your child could be allowed to do their writing on a computer or complete oral rather than written tests. Your school teacher may even be able to give your child a copy of the lesson's content at the end of day so that they don't need to write as much during class.

+ What is dyscalculia?

Dyscalculia is a learning disability whereby children struggle with mathematics. It can be very hard for them to understand mathematical concepts such as what is the bigger number - 5 or 8? Sometimes they also might not understand that the word (seven) and number (7) are the same 'thing'. Another issue that is often seen with dyscalculia relates to estimation. It might be harder for these kids to estimate time or distance, for example. Dyscalculia often presents with issues related to working memory meaning that it is harder for kids to memorize numbers that they will need later on during a task or calculation. Another example related to working memory is losing track when counting numbers.

The mathematical difficulties that come with dyscalculia can show in three different ways:

1. Quantitative - where the child has difficulty in calculating.
2. Qualitative - where it is harder to imagine the mathematical process.
3. Mixed - which shows the lack of bringing quantity and quality together.

Children with dyscalculia may show strength and creativity in artistic and linguistic expression.

+ How is dyscalculia diagnosed?

Dyscalculia symptoms often become more obvious when a child gets older and starts struggling with daily tasks that require mathematical skills. For example during cooking, counting out items to share with friends, chosing an amount of something or arriving on time at a destination.

During an assessment for dyscalculia we will have an interview with you before your child undertakes specific mathematical tests to gain a clear understanding of what aspects of maths they particularly struggle with. We will also test working memory.

+ How is dyscalculia treated?

Children with dyscalculia can benefit from learning maths in different ways beyond what is covered in a standard teaching method. Multisensory techniques are an option to help your child where touch, sound, movement and seeing are used to learn and understand concepts. For example, the use of blocks while learning can teach your child quantities as they can visually see changes in numerical value.

Children with dyscalculia can benefit from targeted maths instruction and may be able to receive tailored assistance in the classroom.

+ What is ADHD?

ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and is a neurodevelopmental disorder. There are three main behaviours that we often see in children with ADHD:

1. Inattention: Trouble keeping their attention focussed on a task.
2. Hyperactivity: Trouble sitting still or moving excessively (when not appropriate).
3. Impulsivity: Doing things without thinking beforehand.

These types of behaviours are very normal in children. Lots of children will have periods throughout the day when they struggle to focus or act impulsively. Some kids can be very hyperactive as they go through their day. However, when children are displaying these behaviours with increased frequency and severity we start to explore whether there is something 'more' behind the behaviour and may assess for ADHD.

If your child does receive a diagnosis of ADHD don't despair! Fellow ADHD club members include Walt Disney, Michael Jordan, Jim Carrey, Will Smith, Richard Branson, Albert Einstein...you get the point! Your child can live a very successful and happy life ALONGSIDE their ADHD. At Perth Family Psychology we take a strengths-focused approach. In a neurotypical world anything outside the box can be met with concern but we prefer to ask "How can we help children to become the best version of THEMSELVES?" We value all children - each is perfect and treasured for their uniqueness. Our focus is on developing your child's strengths and guiding them as they navigate their challenges.

+ How is ADHD Diagnosed?

The diagnosis of ADHD requires a combination of assessments. As you will know, many of the behaviours associated with ADHD are very "normal" and expected child behaviours so it is important to undertake a proper diagnostic assessment.

ADHD can be divided into three different types with each their own specific symptoms:

1. Inattentive Type
2. Hyperactive/Impulsive
3. Combined

+ How is ADHD treated?

There are multiple treatment options to help children better manage life with ADHD.

For further information about ADHD, visit THIS LINK.