The most common barriers to learning
The term “Barrier to learning” is often used interchangeably with the term “Learning Difficulty” – and even though barriers to learning may include learning difficulties, they cover so much more than just that. Barriers to learning refer to any difficulty or situation that may prevent a children from learning and can be loosely divided into […]
Apologies for the delay
Well, hello again! Our apologies for the delay in communication these last few weeks. We’ve been working on a brand spanking new format for our newsletter (and fighting the gremlins that have crept in as a result of the changes). We are so excited about this new format and hope that you will enjoy it […]
The effects of poverty on children
In trying to understand the effects of poverty on children we cannot simply look at the current situation but need to take into account the negative spiral that poverty creates. Poor children are most likely to grow into poor adults and poor parents and repeat the cycle of inter-generational poverty. Besides the obvious fact that […]
What to do if your child has a slow handwriting speed
Having slow handwriting can be very distressing for children during timed tasks such as tests and exams. I often get panicked phone calls from the parents children in higher grades about this. Unfortunately a slow handwriting speed is usually only identified in higher grades, when children simply can’t keep up with volume of work required. […]
Developmental delay
Developmental delay is the umbrella term used when we first become aware that a child is not achieving his / her developmental milestones as they should. Before I focus further on developmental delay though, I’d like to just pause for a minute and elaborate on what we mean when we say that children are not […]
Learning Difficulty: Label or Diagnosis?
One of the hardest decisions I need to make following an assessment is whether to officially diagnose a learning difficulty or not. As a young Ed. Psych. student I thought it would be pretty simple – identify what’s wrong, name it and send the family off in the right direction, relieved that they finally […]
Is there a link between the MMR-vaccine and Autism?
It is a debate that I thought had been settled a while ago and something we no longer needed to be concerned over – but recent reports have caused this hot topic (and tempers on both sides of the debate) to flare up again. For those of you that are hearing about this for […]
Petit Mal – The other culprit in “inattentiveness”
When children are described as being “inattentive” or “distractible” or to be presenting with “lapses in concentration” most teachers and education specialist immediately suspect ADD / ADHD, but a condition known as Petit Mal (or absence episodes) may also be accountable for these periods of inattention. Petit Mal (or absence episodes) refer to brief epileptic […]
Five things you probably didn’t know about ADHD
Believe me, when I was newly graduated there are many things that I didn’t know about ADHD. Sure, the textbooks and lectures taught me some things. But over my years in clinical practice, I have to come to see patterns of behaviour related to ADHD in children that are not always mentioned in popular literature. […]
Auditory Processing Disorder
Ever heard of Auditory Processing Disorder? APD is an umbrella term for a variety of disorders that affect the way the brain processes information received from the ears (auditory perception). It is not a hearing impairment as individuals with APD usually have accurate hearing. But their brains do not process the information they hear in […]
