You know that your child does not learn exactly the same way other children her age do. Her reading is below grade level, yet, her vision is good and her social skills are as they should be. What's going on? At Developmental Pediatrics of Central New Jersey, pediatrician Dr. Alison Smoller and her team pinpoint learning disabilities in children across Monmouth County and beyond, helping families not only cope, but thrive.

What is a learning disability?

A learning disability is a term used to describe any condition that affects how an individual acquires academic skills. A difference in how the mind is wired rather than a developmental delay, a learning disability cannot be cured, nor can a child grow out of it. However, children (and adults) with these issues can be encouraged in their strengths, be supported at home and in school, and successfully learn ways to excel academically.

The National Institute for Health (NIH) states that one in seven people in the United States has a learning disability, although not all of them are correctly diagnosed or helped. Often, these issues run in families, meaning that children with learning problems likely have parents or siblings with a similar disability to one degree or another. Accordingly, a learning disability truly impacts everyone in the household, requiring that everyone in the family help each other cope and succeed.

Getting help in Monmouth County

If you suspect that your child is struggling with a learning disability, contact Developmental Pediatrics of Central New Jersey. Dr. Alison Smoller can observe and test your child by way of neuro-psychological and learning assessments. She can then recommend strategies that will allow your young one to acquire skills and reach educational goals with or without an IEP, or Individualized Education Program.

Dr. Smoller sees and helps with disabilities such as:

• Dyslexia, a language-based issue which affects reading, math, and organizational skills
• Dysgraphia, which impairs handwriting
• Dyspraxia, which affects motor skills (clumsiness)
• Dysphagia, an impairment involving speaking and understanding speech

Please don't wait

If you see that your child is struggling to progress in school, please contact Developmental Pediatrics of Central New Jersey. Here you will receive compassionate and knowledgeable help in a pleasant and welcoming environment. Call (732) 660-0220 for more information or to arrange a consultation.

We proudly serve patients from all over the state of New Jersey, as well as Pennsylvania!

Does your child have a learning disability? Dr. Allison Smoller of Developmental Pediatrics of Central New Jersey in Monmouth County and proudly serving patients from all over the state of New Jersey, including Pennsylvania, can help you determine that. Whether you see developmental delays, distractibility, or just sense that your child is not performing in school as he or she should, Dr. Smoller can help. You and your family are not alone in helping your child feel and be successful in school.

Determining how your child's strengths and weaknesses

Frankly, it often takes an expert outside the home, school and family medical practice to assess if your youngster performs poorly in school because of a neurological, or brain, difference. These brain differences may be related to heredity, birth trauma, toxins in the environment or other compromising factors. At Developmental Pediatrics of Central New Jersey in Monmouth County, Dr. Smoller and her team can look at your child's behaviors and skills and make recommendations for modifications in the home and learning environment.

The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities says that a full 20 percent of Americans of all ages have some kind of learning problem in varying degrees. Common early indications of learning disabilities include mispronunciation of everyday words, reversing letters when printing, poor spelling skills, and lagging behind in basic math and reading skills.

Your developmental pediatrician will address the concerns you and your child's school have. She'll provide the correct assessments to pinpoint delays and neurological differences which make your child's ability to learn slower or different from that of his or her peers.

Count on Dr. Smoller to:

• Make a correct diagnosis
• Give recommendations to you as the parent and to the school for program modifications
• Refer for occupational, speech and physical therapy as needed
• Communicate her findings to the primary care physician

Key to a child's learning success is a team approach involving the home, school and any medical/psychological interventions. Dr. Smoller brings her expertise to this team effort and assists parents in getting the services they require for a youngster's optimal functioning.

Possible learning disabilities

There are many. Dyslexia is a common one and involves trouble with reading, handwriting, spelling and can even extend to math skills. Dysgraphia impacts handwriting, while children with dyscalculia struggle with math concepts and computation. Auditory, sensory and visual processing disorders affect how a child's brain uses the information garnered by hearing, touch and sight.

Find out more

Fortunately, Dr. Smoller's practice is not limited to just a few learning disabilities. So if you suspect one of the conditions described here, or are just not sure what's going on, please contact the office for a confidential consultation.

Dr. Smoller is highly qualified in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics. She also has earned many professional and community accolades for her service to children and their families in Monmouth County and all over the state of New Jersey, including Pennsylvania. She and her staff would be honored to see your child and help him or her be successful in the school environment. Please call (732) 660-0220 for an appointment.