In working with Dyslexic, ADHD, and other children with Pervasive Developmental Disorders, we’ve realized that many of the difficulties that these children experience later in life could have been prevented with just a few simple interventions. 

The reason for this is that fairly early in life, children develop specific mental patterns (strategies) for processing various types of sensory information. These strategies, when employed successfully by the child in specific circumstances can become generalized to situations where they may not be effective.

In addition, as children grow, they may develop particular strategies as a response to situations when their primary strategy appears to be ineffective.

These solutions may become habits or even compulsive behaviors which, as the child grows, may be of little or no practical.  The combination of the inappropriate mental strategies and the development of compulsive behaviors can severely impact a child’s effectiveness.

While conventional diagnosis may not be possible until a child is older, identifying a child’s sensory profile as well as their strengths and weaknesses at an early age (2-6) can allow for appropriate intervention and greater success later in life.

Characteristics of at-risk children:

• Delayed speech or language skills
• Difficulty following auditory instructions
• Unusual or delayed social behaviors
• Difficulty transitioning from one activity to another
• Above Average visual or spatial awareness (seems to know where things are)
• Above average intelligence
• Difficulty passing objects across the left-right body midline
• Difficulty tracking objects across the left-right body midline
• Delayed fine or gross motor skills
• Difficulty with reading or reading comprehension
• Reverses letters and numbers
• Poor sense of direction (left/right)
• Dislikes reading but enjoys being read to
• struggles with handwriting
• Disorganized, room is a constant mess, difficulty keeping track of things
• Extremely active, can't sit still for even reasonable period
• Stutters
• has trouble verbally expressing himself
• Frequently frustrated
• Easily overwhelmed
• Forgetful, difficulty remembering
• Often distracted, lack of attention/focus
• Avoids eye contact
• Frequently tunes out what’s happening
• Watches what others are doing or needs to see gestures before acting
• One or both parents having Dyslexia, ADHD or other pervasive developmental disorder
• One or more grandparents, siblings or other close relatives having Dyslexia, ADHD or other pervasive developmental disorder.
• Children with two or more of these characteristics may be at-risk for future educational difficulties.

The good news is that early intervention can help alleviate many of the difficulties that are often the result of sensory processing or sensory integration issues.

In 2010, the Neuro-Linguistic Learning Center introduced its Early Childhood Neuro-Sensory Development Program for at-risk children. The program is designed to assist parents in identifying young children, ages 2 to 6, who are at-risk for developing specific sensory processing problems.

Our Reading Readiness program provides specific interventions for at-risk children. It is our observation that many of the older children who come to the Learning Center might have been spared years of struggle had they received early intervention.