My Blog

 Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are neurodevelopmental conditions that affect a person’s ability to gain and use academic skills. These disorders can impact areas such as reading (dyslexia), writing (dysgraphia), and mathematics (dyscalculia). Diagnosing SLDs requires an understanding of a person’s cognitive, emotional, and educational profile. Diagnosing these disorders involves more than just identifying symptoms; it requires a thorough evaluation to rule out other conditions and understand the unique needs of the individual.

An SLD in reading is often referred to as dyslexia, and it affects both phonological and orthographic processing, contributing to difficulties with reading and spelling. Concerns may arise if reading is not fluent (smooth and well-paced) or if there are troubles with decoding words, reading whole words, and spelling.

An SLD in writing is often referred to as dysgraphia, and it affects both written expression and spelling. You might notice challenges with getting the words onto the page, even though there is a good response in your head. Spelling may be phonetic and inconsistent. Sometimes, an SLD in writing may also impact the physical appearance of handwriting, which may be unevenly spaced with missed use of punctuation and grammar. If writing is physically challenging, there may also be some motor skills concerns.

 An SLD in mathematics is often referred to as dyscalculia, and it affects the ability to calculate sums automatically, understand magnitude (how big or little things are), and memorize basic number facts. People with dyscalculia often do not have automatic subitisation, which is knowing that the 6 dots on a die equal six, needing to count each dot to know it is six. Difficulties are also seen in knowing basic math facts, memorising them, and recalling them quickly.

Any psychologist with the right training and background can diagnose learning disorders; however, some psychologists may have limited training in this area, while others have extensive training. Educational and Developmental Psychologists receive specific training in learning disorders and assessment as part of their university course requirements, . If you are seeking an SLD assessment, finding the right type of psychologist, or one with experience in assessing SLDs, is the first step. Schools may have a list of psychologists in the area that you can consult.

So, what’s involved? Firstly, the psychologist will gather a history of the challenges and may review reports, previous assessments, and speak with parents or teachers. A clinical interview is often involved to unpack what is going on and to determine if an SLD assessment is appropriate. It’s important to get this first step right, as many factors can impact learning. It is also important to check that this is not a new concern, with 6 months of targeted supports already put in place, with limited success. 

Before assessing for an SLD, it is important for the psychologist to ensure that targeted interventions have already been implemented. For example, if assessing an SLD in reading, there should have been some small group work or individual support to help with reading, such as extra reading groups, reading or spelling programs, and little evidence of improvement as expected.  

To diagnose and SLD the psychologist will do some assessments for cognitive ability (IQ test) and academic ability (reading, writing, maths). They may also do specific assessments for other reading, writing or maths skills. Each psychologist will use their own combination of assessment tools. Some examples are below:

Cognitive assessments: 

WISC-V – under   16, WAIS-IV - adults, WJ- Tests of Cognitive Abilities, Raven’s Progressive Matrices, Stanford-Binet   Intelligence Scales

Academic assessments: 

WIAT-III, Wide Range   Achievement Test (WRAT), WJ Tests of Achievement, Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement (KTEA)

Specific   skills:

CELF-3, DASH handwriting, CVLT, Conners-3, TOWRE, CTOPP-2

Cognitive assessments help identify strengths and weaknesses that may affect learning. Academic assessments include tests for reading fluency, comprehension, spelling, and mathematical reasoning.

Psychologists integrate the results from various assessments to form a comprehensive understanding of the individual's learning profile. They look for patterns that indicate specific learning difficulties and determine whether these difficulties are consistent with SLD.

It is also important to rule out hearing or sight issues, missed time at school, or other medical reasons for learning challenges. 

They may also have surveys completed by parents and/or teachers to find out about concerns with behaviours, attention, anxiety etc. to rule out other concerns or to think about co-occurring concerns. 

Our mindfulness-based therapy sessions help clients develop a more mindful and compassionate relationship with themselves and others. We utilize mindfulness-based techniques to help clients reduce stress, improve emotional regulation, and cultivate greater self-awareness and acceptance.  

Psychologists also look at all the information to think about what other concerns might affect learning, such as ADHD, anxiety, or sensory challenges. This involves ruling out other potential causes of the learning difficulties. They may work with other professionals such as teachers, audiologists, occupational therapists, ophthalmologists, and speech-language pathologists. This teamwork ensures that all potential factors contributing to learning difficulties are considered.

After the assessment the psychologist will meet with you to go through the results and discuss the areas of concern and recommendations to parents and educators, helping them understand the assessment results and how they can support the individual effectively.

Based on the assessment findings, schools can develop tailored intervention plans that address the specific needs of the individual. These plans may include recommendations for educational accommodations, specialised programs, and behavioural strategies.

Monitoring progress and adjusting interventions as needed helps to ensure that the strategies implemented are effective and supportive, making changes to the adjustments as needed. 

At AIMED Psychology we work with you to tailor the educational assessment to the individual. We do not just use a standard WISC-WIAT combination which you may hear. We look at using any tool that may be helpful to understand specific learning strengths or challenges. Our comprehensive assessments, interpretation of results, and development of tailored intervention plans are essential for identifying and addressing learning challenges. Our AIM is to  ensure that individuals with SLD receive the Educational and Developmental support they need to succeed academically and reach their full potential, that’s how we got our name – AIMED Psychology.