Early signs of specific learning disabilities in early childhood.

Abstract

Since comprehensive evaluation of academic skills cannot be extensively conduct-ed in early childhood, specific learning disabilities cannot be diagnosed in pre-school-aged children. To evaluate academic skills, children must be school-aged and interventions cannot begin in the preschool period. However, specific learning disabilities in children may also be noticed during preschool. Preschool teachers need to determine which kids are at risk of having specific learning disabilities so that they can be detected early and an intervention provided. Preschool teachers need to be aware of the early signs of specific learning disabilities to distinguish between typically developing children and those at risk of having specific learning disabilities. In this review, studies describing the preschool characteristics of students at risk of having specific learning disabilities are examined, and the early signs of specific learning disabilities and early intervention processes are described based on the literature. Research suggests that the signs of specific learning disabilities can be seen in early childhood. The need for preschool teachers and families to be sensitive to the characteristics of children at risk of specific learning disabilities in the context of early intervention is discussed.