From birth onward, all parents will wonder if their child is meeting the proper milestones for their age and developmental level. If there are deficiencies noticed by the parents, caregivers, or instructors, there may be some concern about learning disabilities. At Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey, Dr. Alison Smoller is well equipped to recognize and diagnose learning disabilities in her young patients in Monmouth County, NJ. It's important to remember that at some point, most children will display at least a few of the behaviors and characteristics discussed here. Many are a natural part of development. Your Monmouth County developmental pediatrician may suspect a learning disability if your child fails to fully master a concept or displays numerous signs that they do not outgrow.

Early signs

These symptoms of learning disabilities are often seen before or during preschool:

• Delayed speech
• Delay in fine motor skills (coloring, using safety scissors, manipulating blocks or other small objects)
• Difficulty learning or remembering shapes, colors, alphabet, numbers
• Inability to follow or remember routines

Intellectual signs

Learning disabilities can fully manifest themselves during elementary-aged classroom activities. They may present with the following:

• Insufficient reading and/or writing ability. The child may reverse letters in words while writing or speaking.
• Sequencing difficulties, such as during math-related exercises
• Difficulty learning to tell time
• Not knowing right from left
• Difficulty distinguishing numbers, letters or other symbols

These signs may not follow a specific pattern; they can differ from day to day. Children with learning disabilities may also display poor physical coordination as well. 

Responsive signs

Your Monmouth County pediatrician often finds that children with learning disabilities display similar behaviors to those with ADD/ADHD. These children may also become frustrated with their impairments and act out inappropriately.

• Does not respond well to discipline
• Difficulty with following or remembering directions
• Poor attention span
• Impulsive or restless behavior. The child may frequently get out of his or her seat, speak out of turn or fidget.
• Disorganization

By working with your Monmouth County, NJ developmental pediatrician, Dr. Alison Smoller, any learning disabilities your child may have can be addressed and treated appropriately. Contact Developmental Pediatrics of Central Jersey with any questions you may have or to set up an evaluation for your child.