Learning Disabilities
What are some learning difficulties?
From about the age of 4-7 or even earlier some developmental hiccups and difficulties may become apparent. Sometimes we shrug it off as being “clumsy” or “off with the fairies”, we use cliche’s like “ants in the pants” or explain it away as just “busy” or active kids. As a parent observing my own children I certainly experienced this myself. Often it is once our children start school or move to higher grades that these difficulties increase rather than decrease. “They’ll grow out of it” does not ring true. It either persists or just shows up differently.
Problems with the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) indicate an underlying immaturity and can manifest the following symptoms. The thing is we often deem such symptoms as just being innate or part of a child’s personality. We reason that they don’t like it, they’re not interested or it’s just not they’re thing. We often assume that there is a lack of capacity and they have to manage or deal with it. Or we assume that it is a conscious choice and they need to take more care, apply more focus, grit, or determination.
What are the symptoms of learning difficulties?
- Clumsiness,
- Reading & writing difficulties,
- Writing Problems,
- Concentration Problems,
- Educational Under-Achievement,
- Attention Problems,
- Auditory Processing Difficulties,
- Difficulty in Physical Education,
- Difficulty Learning to Swim,
- Difficulty Riding 2 wheel Bikes,
- Difficulty Telling the Time,
- Coordination Difficulties,
- Mixed Laterality,
- Poor Eye-Hand Coordination,
- Speech and Articulation Problems,
- Travel Sickness,
- Inability to Sit Still or Remain Silent,
- Maths Problems
Learning difficulties and related challenges
Children can experience learning, movement, attention and emotional challenges in many different ways. Some of the diagnoses and difficulties families seek support around include:
Dyslexia, Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder -DCD), Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), Agoraphobia, Asperger’s Syndrome, Anxiety and Panic Disorder, Dysgraphia – Writing Problems
What can be done to help learning difficulties?
The exciting truth is that we can retrain the brain.
More precisely detailed by Norman Doidge in his bestseller The brain that changes itself neuroscience is proving that brain plasticity allows for change not only in childhood but throughout our lives. Even when the central nervous system has not matured in the optimal time frame we can always go back and via experience change and adapt.
Retained primitive reflexes and neuromotor development are among the areas worth exploring when a child is experiencing learning, movement or coordination difficulties.
My work draws on years of developmental experience, INPP training and Brain Therapy for Neonatal and General Reflexes. Through assessment, I explore the reflex and developmental movement patterns that may be relevant to your child and begin supporting integration where appropriate.
The aim is to understand what may be contributing to the difficulties you’re noticing and work directly with the patterns identified, creating opportunities for change in how your child moves, learns and experiences everyday life.
Retrain The Brain
The JIAS Waves Generic Programme: a structured home-listening programme designed to support listening, auditory processing and learning.
Individual NLP coaching to support confidence, emotional wellbeing, resilience and meaningful change in children and teenagers.
Assessment and targeted reflex-integration support for retained primitive reflex patterns that may be affecting development, coordination, regulation and learning.