Was your child struggling during the previous semester at school? Is coming back from break a worry? At Neighborhood Primary Care in Lake Orion, MI, Dr. Joseph Gorz and his staff help parents identify signs of learning disabilities. Your youngster can learn, with proper identification and assistance toward academic success.

What is a learning disability?

The National Center for Learning Disabilities says that this deficit impedes a child's ability to process, retain and use information presented in the academic setting. These deficits--or more accurately, differences--are mostly neurological in nature. They are things your child was born with and may have a genetic tie-in. In other words, learning disabilities sometimes run in families.

What a parent should look for

If your child performs below par, yet seems normal or even gifted outside the school setting, he or she may have a learning disability. While many children exhibit problems with learning one skill or other, they naturally outgrow them as their brains develop.

However, other youngsters show little to no change in their deficits over time. This is a clue that a child has a true learning disability. Other symptoms a parent may observe are:

• Reading and writing skills well below grade level
• Poor handwriting
• Inability to tell time with an analog clock
• Disorganization
• Can't follow directions in a sequence
• Attention span which is short for his or her age
• Immature speech
• Poor concentration and memory
• Restless
• Overactive
• Talks out of turn
• Cannot discriminate between letters and numbers

Dr. Gorz wants parents alert to persistent symptoms and to seek counsel from the school and from his team at Neighborhood Primary Care. As your child's physician, he can evaluate your child to rule out physical problems and coordinate testing with learning specialists. With an actual diagnosis in hand, you have the proper information to get your child the help he or she needs for academic success.

Kinds of learning disabilities

These neurological differences are as individualized as children are. However, there are commonalities. Here are the five most commonly seen learning disabilities:

1. Dyslexia, a deficit that impairs reading comprehension and fluency and the processing of information.
2. Dysgraphia, which impedes actual handwriting and the ability to form sentences.
3. Dyscalculia, a difficulty with sequencing numbers, performing basic calculations, measuring and telling time.
4. ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which expresses as difficulties with concentration, restlessness, and inappropriate talking and behavior.
5. Processing problems, such as Auditory Processing Disorder, in which a child cannot discriminate between various kinds of sensory input (such as letter sounds).

Specialists in education, medicine and psychology help parents and kids understand and deal with their learning disabilities. Key is early identification and documentation of the deficit and accommodation within the school setting.

Let us help

If you recognize some symptoms of a learning disability in your youngster, now is the time to act. For guidance, please call Neighborhood Primary Care in Lake Orion, MI: (248) 690-9181.

The information is provided to you by Dr. Joe Gorz at Neighborhood Primary Care.