Learning Disability Tests: How to Test for Learning Disabilities

How Can Testing Help Determine My Child's Learning Disability?

Diagnosing Learning Disabilities in Children

If you think that your child has a learning disability, it's important to find out exactly what it is. Only with an accurate diagnosis can the correct steps be taken to ensure that your child gets the education you want them to receive.

A pediatrician, private specialist, child psychologist, occupational therapist or the teaching team at your child's school can diagnose learning disabilities. Other professionals who can administer tests to help your child are neuropsychologists, psychometrists as well as occupational, speech and language therapists. When diagnosing learning disabilities, professionals use a variety of strategies. Administering learning disability tests is just one.

How Can Learning Disability Tests Be Helpful?

While tests aren't the be-all and end-all when it comes to determining learning disabilities, they can be quite useful. Testing provides professionals with clues and, at times, deep insight into what your child's disability is. When combined with other forms of analysis, learning disability testing can be an invaluable resource.

What Kinds of Learning Disability Tests Are There?

Learning disability tests are carefully designed to help professionals determine whether a child has a learning disability. The content of the test will vary greatly depending on the type of disability being tested. For example, a test to determine if a child is dyslexic will be considerably different than a test to determine if a child has Attention Deficit Disorder.

What Can I Do to Help My Child Beyond Testing?

Before giving a child a learning disability test, teachers will often conduct observations of the child and describe situations in which he or she struggles. These observation help professionals get a detailed picture of a child's challenges. Teachers will also compile a portfolio of the child's work and analyze it for evidence of a learning disability.

Schedule an appointment with the special education teachers at your child's school. They will be able to explain exactly what diagnostic measures will be used in evaluating your child. There are also a number of organizations that may be of use to you such as the Learning Disabilities Association of America, the Council for Learning Disabilities and the National Center for Learning Disabilities. All of these organizations can provide you with support, resources, information and guidance when it comes to helping your child.