Identifying Learning Disabilities in Pre-School Children

'Even though my daughter took her first step and reached other childhood milestones around the right age, my wife and I felt like something was not going right,' says Ethan Larson, a concerned parent. 'Her social skills seemed to be below par. My wife and I observed her for a period of time and it was around her third birthday...she was diagnosed with a learning disability.'

No one understands children better then their parents. As a parent you need to trust your intuition. If something doesn't seem right with your child and they display several of the following characteristics, you may want to consider seeking help.

• Difficulties following directions or routines
• Fine motor skills develop slower than average
• Speaks later than their friends
• Problems with vocabulary - having a difficult time finding the right word
• Difficulties with pronunciation
• Below average social skills
• Trouble learning shapes, colors, days of the week, numbers, alphabet, etc.
• Restless and distracted easily

If you notice any of these problems, seeking a trained professional to evaluate your child is the next step. Your child's pediatrician can refer you to a wide variety of specialists whose primary goal is to help your child.