Making Sense of Learning Assessments

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2022), between 10-15% of Aussie kids experience learning challenges during their school years. Understanding how these challenges are identified and supported can help you make informed decisions about your child’s education. Let’s break down what you need to know about learning assessments.

What’s a Learning Assessment?

Think of a learning assessment as a detailed check-up of how your child learns. Just like you’d take your child to the GP for a thorough health check, a learning assessment is done by a psychologist who specialises in understanding how kids learn. They use guidelines from a handbook called the DSM-5 (think of it as the manual doctors use to understand different conditions) to work out if your child needs extra support with learning.

How Do Psychologists Work Out What’s Going On?

When working with your child, psychologists look for a few key things:

1. Ongoing Challenges: They check if your child has been having trouble for at least six months with things like:
   • Reading (sometimes called dyslexia)
   • Writing (sometimes called dysgraphia)
   • Maths (sometimes called dyscalculia)
2. Impact on Daily Life: They look at how these challenges affect:
   • Schoolwork
   • Homework
   • Everyday activities that involve reading, writing, or maths
3. When It Started: Usually, these challenges become noticeable during primary school, though sometimes they might not be obvious until the schoolwork gets harder.

Ruling Out Other Causes

Before deciding that your child has a specific learning difficulty, psychologists need to check that the challenges aren’t caused by other things, such as:

• Problems with eyesight or hearing
• Not having enough practice with English (for kids from non-English speaking backgrounds)
• Missing lots of school
• Other health or developmental conditions
• Not having the right kind of teaching

This careful checking helps make sure your child gets exactly the right kind of help.

How This Helps Your Child

1. The Right Support: Teachers can use strategies that match how your child learns best.
2. Extra Help: Your child might be able to get:
   • Special arrangements for tests and exams
   • Extra support at school
   • Funding for additional resources
   • Helpful technology like text-to-speech software
3. Better Understanding: Kids often feel relieved when they understand why they find certain things tricky. It helps them know it’s not their fault.
4. Early Help: The sooner we understand what’s going on, the sooner we can help prevent your child from feeling frustrated or anxious about school.

Busting Myths About Learning Difficulties

The Big One: “Does This Mean My Child Isn’t Smart?”

Absolutely not! Having a learning difficulty simply means your child’s brain processes information in its own unique way – it’s just a different path to learning. Many brilliant and successful people have learning difficulties:

• Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Airlines (Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, 2023)
• Jamie Oliver, renowned chef and author (British Dyslexia Association, 2022)
• Jackie French, celebrated Australian author and former Children’s Laureate (Learning Difficulties Australia, 2023)

What Happens After the Assessment?

Once we understand how your child learns best, everyone works together as a team:

• Teachers use special teaching methods that suit your child
• Your child might use different ways to learn (like listening to audiobooks)
• The school might provide extra help or technology
• Regular check-ins help make sure everything’s working well

When Should I Think About Getting an Assessment?

You might want to consider an assessment if your child:

• Often says “I’m dumb” or “I hate school”
• Tries really hard but still struggles with reading, writing, or maths
• Gets anxious about going to school or doing homework
• Seems to be falling behind classmates despite trying their best

Getting Help

Remember, every child learns differently, and that’s okay! If you’re worried about your child’s learning, chat with their teacher or GP. They can help you decide if a learning assessment would be helpful and point you in the right direction for support.

References

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2022). Australia’s children: Learning difficulties. AIHW.

Learning Difficulties Australia. (2023). Understanding learning difficulties: A guide for parents. LDA.

Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity. (2023). Success Stories.

British Dyslexia Association. (2022). Famous People with Dyslexia.

Note: This guide gives general information only. For specific advice about your child, please chat with their teacher, GP, or a qualified professional.