The importance of diagnosing learning disorders

Knowing how to detect as soon as possible the existence of these problems in the child is fundamental.

In terms of psychological intervention applied to improving people's well-being, the earlier the problem to be treated is detected, the better. And this is probably truer than ever in the case of the youngest, who are going through a stage that, in many aspects, will condition their development in adulthood.

Childhood is a phase of life full of possibilities, but also full of potential vulnerabilities. A poor learning of language skills, for example, can eventually hinder the child's possibilities in social and working life throughout his or her life. The same is true of all the psychological skills involved in school performance.

That is why, the diagnosis of learning disorders during childhood and adolescence is crucial.It is not for nothing that it is an area in which many psychologists specialize.

The importance of diagnosis in the face of learning disorders

In a way, childhood shapes much of our room for maneuver when it comes to personal and professional development. Clearly, we can all change to some degree at any age (there is a reason why our brains are able to adapt to many environmental challenges throughout our lives), but we are especially sensitive to what happens to us during the first years of life, for better and for worse.

So, we are especially sensitive to what happens to us during the early years of life, for better and for worse, spending the years of schooling having to live with the effects of a learning disability without assistance is a very frustrating experience, which on the one hand keeps the child without the opportunity to learn a lot of content that will serve him or her as a major, and on the other hand generates a sense of frustration and boredom during class and study hours, which feeds the negative effects of the disorder.

The problem is that this kind of disorder can take many forms, and most of them are difficult to recognize at first glance by those who have no experience in the field of psychology. Moreover, sometimes the child is criticized and blamed for the lack of progress in school, which aggravates the situation. But even in the best of cases, a learning disorder that is not professionally treated will not prevent the person from becoming an adult with a good quality of life, but it will help him or her to get much further than he or she would have been able to go if the problem had been detected in time.

And the fact is that phenomena such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, dyslexia, or dyscalculia can lead a young person to believe that this is their real limit, that they will never be able to concentrate enough to do anything useful with their lives, or that they will never be able to learn in depth all the wisdom contained in books. These kinds of beliefs are not only a reflection of the problem in the school days; they also mark and wear down self-esteem in a very damaging way.

What to do to play it safe?

The best way to make sure that there is no psychological disturbance hindering a child's ability to learn is to turn to psychotherapy professionals when signs that something is wrong are detected.

In some cases, it may be a false alarm and there is no learning disorder, but even in such situations it is good to have the help of psychologists, since we are specialized in recognizing non-pathological but limiting phenomena, such as lack of motivation at school or identification with those who despise studies simply because they want to be part of a group.

In other cases, there will be a learning disorder based partially on Biological predispositions (not necessarily genetic) that, with work in child and adolescent therapy sessions, can cause far fewer problems. The key in these cases is to knowing how to identify exactly what it is that is slowing down the learning pace of the child.From there, we can offer personalized "training" to compensate for these difficulties and reinforce other virtues of the child, so that he or she can use new ways to learn and not fall again and again into paralyzing frustration.

For this, of course, it is necessary to have the experience and the necessary tools to make a diagnosis of learning disorders. For example, in our psychology center located in Barcelona, Psicotools, we carry out this symptom detection from both psychology and neuropsychology, from which complementary diagnostic tests are carried out and from which well-defined and effective re-education programs can be promoted. If you are interested in contacting us, you will see our contact details by clicking here.

Bibliographical references:

• Frith, U. (1999). Paradoxes in the definition of dyslexia. Dyslexia, 5, 192 - 214.
• Roca, E.; Carmona, J.; Boix, C.; Colomé, R.; López, A.; Sanguinetti, A.; Caro, M.; Sans, A. (Coord.). (2010). Learning in childhood and adolescence: keys to avoid school failure. Esplugues de Llobregat: Hospital Sant Joan de Deu.
• Sroubek, A., Kelly, M., Li, X. (2013). Inattentiveness in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Neuroscience Bulletin. 29 (1): 103 - 10.