I have a 6-year-old son that is having trouble at school. He reads a lot of common words backwards, such as reading pan for nap or dull for pull. He can do basic math, but if the answer is 32, sometimes he’ll write 23.
It was upsetting me that he was making simple mistakes because he wouldn’t take the time to look at things, and then I noticed he was having trouble focusing his eyes. I had his vision tested and it’s fine.
I asked his teacher if she would refer him to get tested for a learning disability. She told me the school’s waiting list is about 60 days. Am I going about it the right way by getting him tested? Where do I go from here? Can my son’s doctor have him tested or refer me to a testing center? What kind of test do you do to identify learning disabilities? I feel completely lost and worry that I am failing my son. Please help!
Sometimes, 6 year olds still reverse letters and numbers. If this is his only problem, you might wait a little longer. If, however, you find that he is not mastering his first grade skills (reading, writing, math), then I would not wait.
Don’t discuss this with the teacher. The process is for you to write a letter to the principal, requesting a meeting to discuss your son’s difficulties. The principal must call such a meeting. The school psychologist and special education person will be present. Discuss your concerns with this team. If they agree, they will schedule testing. If they do not feel testing is needed now, you will still have focused everyone on his difficulties. If in the fall he has not made progress, request another meeting.
You can always have him evaluated privately. The testing is called psycho-educational testing.