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Child Development Doesn't Occur in a Vacuum
There are many factors that can critically impact a child's physical, social, academic, and emotional development. Complex pressures and events can serve to stiffle or stimulate healthy growth and development. Some of these factors are within the control of parents, educators, and other health professionals and some are not. All, however, impact children and families in one way or the other.
What factors and situations contribute to developmental risk?
There are literally hundreds and thousands of actions, situations, and personal background issues that contribute to developmental risk. Some of the most common are:
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family and genetic history
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ADHD
diagnosis
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poor academic performance
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hearing loss
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ability to discriminate sounds
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distractibility
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developmental speech and language delays
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lack of early stimulation
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predisposition to genetic disorders
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early onset of physical conditions impacting growth and learning
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and many more
LD Online states that 15% of the population is affected by learning disabilities.
A lack of diagnosis and treatment can have a profound impact on individuals and families. LD Online goes on to say that "people with learning disabilities are just as smart (and sometimes smarter) than their peers, but have difficulty learning in a conventional school setting." Early identification can serve to lessen, and perhaps mediate, this impact. In fact, early identification is critical for a successful academic start. Ignoring the early warning signs puts children and families at risk.
Social competence, emotional development and well-being, and classroom management are also at risk.
Too often students are misunderstood and misdirected. What appears as a lack of motivation, or oppositional behavior, or shyness may actually be an early warning sign of a developmental delay. Given the complexity of factors at play, it is often useful to seek professional guidance in order to understand the context of behaviors so that an accurate picture can emerge. Once that picture is clear, then action plans can be generated to specifically target a child's individual needs.
Bay Centre has been offering comprehensive evaluations for over 25 years.
Call us today at 850-432-5680 to talk about your concerns.
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