| Some
First Signs of Trouble: Keeping up with the Flow of
Expectations |
| Preschool |
| Language |
Memory |
Attention |
Fine
Motor Skills |
Other
Functions |
|
Pronunciation problems
Slow vocabulary growth
Lack of interest in story telling
|
Trouble learning numbers,
alphabet,
days of week, etc.
Poor memory for routines
|
Trouble sitting still
Extreme restlessness
Imprecistence at tasks
|
Trouble learning self-help skills
(e.g. tying shoe laces)
Clumsiness
Reluctance to draw or trace
|
Trouble interacting (weak social
skills)
Trouble learning left from right
(possible visual spatial confusion)
|
| Lower
Grades |
| Language |
Memory |
Attention |
Fine
Motor Skills |
Other
Functions |
|
Delayed decoding abilities for
reading
Trouble following directions
Poor spelling
|
Slow recall of facts
Organizational problems
Slow acquisition of new skills
Poor spelling
|
Impulsivity, lack of planning
Careless errors
Insatiability
Distractibility
|
Unstable pencil grip
Trouble with letter formation
|
Trouble learning about time
(temporal-sequential disorganization)
Poor grasp of math concepts
|
| Middle
Grades |
| Language |
Memory |
Attention |
Fine
Motor Skills |
Other
Functions |
|
Poor reading comprehension
Lack of verbal participation in
class
Trouble with word problems
|
Poor illegible writing
Slow or poor recall of math facts
Failure of automatic recall
|
Inconsistency
Poor self monitoring
Great knowledge of trivia
Distaste for fine detail
|
Fist-like or tight pencil grip
Illegible, slow, or inconsistent
writing
Reluctance to write
|
Poor learning strategies
Disorganization in time or space
Peer rejection
|
| Upper
Grades |
| Language |
Memory |
Attention |
Fine
Motor Skills |
Other
Functions |
|
Weak grasp of explanations
Foreign language problems
Poor written expression
Trouble summarizing
|
Trouble studying for tests
Weak cumulative memory
slow work pace
|
Memory problems due to weak
attention
Mental fatigue
|
(Lessening relevance of fine motor
skills)
|
Poor grasp of abstract concepts
Failure to elaborate
Trouble taking tests, multiple
choice (e.g. SAT)
|
|
From
"Learning disorders and the Flow of
Expectations," by Melvin D. Levine, MD, FAAP,
published in Their World, 1990. These lists
are guideposts for parents, teachers, and others
involved. They should not be used in isolation, but
may lead you to seek further assessment. Many
children will, from time to time, have difficulty
with one or more of these items. They should always
be reviewed in a broader context of understanding
about a child. Copyright © 1992 National Center for
Learning Disabilities, Inc. All rights reserved.
|
