Seeking Help with Learning Problems

Updated on August 02, 2015
J.D. asks from Sunbury, PA
19 answers

I have a 4 year old , that is having a really hard time learning , well mostly remembering. I have tried over and over to get him , to remember his abc's, I was thinking about getting him tested . I realy hate to see him struggling.

I was also wondering if him having loss of oxgen at birth would be , likely reason , he is having problems . He had about 30 second at birth , where , he wasn't breathing , could something have happen then ??? please help !! I know boys learn slower then girls , at this age , but just worried that maybe something happened . thanks ,, and have great day .

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So What Happened?

I wanted to let everybody know that I am working on getting my sone tested for dyslexia. I found a wonderful dr. at our local hospital and take him back in july for the testing.I am glad I am going to get him the help he needs now instead of later . thanks everybody ,,, And I will let you know how the testing goes.

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A.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Hi i dont know if this will help but my daughter has maltible learning problems we started to see this at the age of 4...She is 6 now and she is in 1st grade she is in special ed classes which she gets 1 on 1 help from a teacher (i know special ed sounds scary but it works) and also the infents and toddler program might help...yes it is hard for her to do her homework but we get it done w/ the help of me...I also found out that she has ADHD which makes it harder for her to focas....so i dont know if i helped you at all if not i am sorry for bothering you have a good day
A.

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Y.L.

answers from Philadelphia on

Getting him tested is a good idea to rule out anything. But just keep in mind that kids learn differently and at different rate. Some kids learn well visually while others learn well only if they hear it aloud. So try different ways to teach him.

Y.

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J.B.

answers from Washington DC on

Hey J.,

At this age I wouldn't worry about him remembering.He just might be developing a little slower. I would wait till he gets into school before any talk of testing. If he likes the computer, you could try computer games that teach the alphabet. I was worried about my daughter at first. But at this age, just a few months can make a big difference. All of a sudden she just took off with learning. Putting her in a preschool really helped. Also, my daughter does better learning from her father than I...and I'm a teacher! Don't pressure him to remember them because that causes them to shut down. Try the computer games. My daughter loves them. Hope this helps!

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F.G.

answers from Washington DC on

Hi J....sorry to hear about your little guy! Have you tried singing the letters? and learning only a few at a time? I have two boys and don't think they learned any slower than girls in fact my niece seems to be lagging behind a little...I think it's the fact that each child is soo different that you really need to find what works best for that perticular boy or girl. Try making turning learning into a really fun game I'm now teaching my youngest to write his letters and we make a daddy A mommy A and baby A I draw the shape and he fills in the face, now he can write his whole name and all the letters up to g. Hope I was able to help. Best of luck
F.
www.fingerpaintz.com

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O.K.

answers from Williamsport on

Nursery Rhymes plays an important role in children learning. The rhyming words and soothing background music amuses the children to learn and sing along. It enables the child to learn and speak new words when growing up. In today’s world where the technology surrounds us and almost every important aspect of our life is linked with technology, there are also Nursery Rhymes that are available in smartphone applications.
Here is a beautiful animated nursery rhyme application for children to enjoy and learn.

Link ---> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mobilet...

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J.M.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Just a note about testing....

I have an almost 8 year old with a memory issue. He does not visually recognize all of the letters of the alphabet, just recently learned the days of the week, does not remember many of the things that a typical first grader, or even kindergartner remembers. He has been through kindergarten twice, and is working as a first grader with a modified (kindergarten) curriculm, and is still having issues. We went ahead with the teacher's advice last year and had him tested. The psycologist came back with the diagnosis- a mild case of ADD. According to his report he is not even eligable for special education in school. I had to fight to have him considered for spec. ed., which he still does not have an IEP written or even the process finished to consider him special needs (what they need to do before they begin the IEP) They basically told me to go have him put on ADD meds and get on with it. I don't know where you live, but around here it seems every one that is tested is ADD/ADHD or some form of autism. (at least everyone that I know.) I can not accept that a mild case of ADD is causing my son to have so many learning issues. I refuse to band-aid the real problem with medication that he really does not need.
If you are concerned about your son, and want to have testing, there may be a real problem, just beware of "blanket diagnoses." There are so many children, alot that I know personally, that are on ADD meds that really do not even fit the description of true ADD.

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J.

answers from Philadelphia on

J. if there is one piece of advice that I could give you, this would be it. IF YOU THINK THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOUR BABY, GO WITH YOUR GUT. Get him tested. The worst they can say is that he is totally fine and stop worrying about it. I have a 10 year old with PDD NOS (form of autism) and around 2 1/2 I started to notice things not quite right (or what I thought was right). See Tony was my first and not having a sibling, most people chalked his delay on that. I was not satisfied and pushed the issue. And after getting him evaluated by a developmental pediatrician, I was right. He is only 25% delayed, but enough to need assistance. We jumped right on getting him help and today he is doing really well. Most parents wait because they think they are crazy and the longer you wait, the more trouble the child will have catching up. PLEASE DON'T WAIT.

If I can help you any more or if you just need an ear, please feel free to contact me. Best of luck with him.

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N.R.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Hi J.
I would get the peace of mind getting him evaluated. I have a son who is 3 1/2 and had PDD. He is smart as a whip but he was speech delayed. After his eval and got the help he so desperately needed. Its scary to not know what's happening with your child. I was floored to hear my child had PDD. But with that ingorance he wasn't getting the help. Getting help at a early age is vital.
Hang in there.
If you EVER need to talk or get support email me.
Ivillage has excellent message boards just for specific "issues".

Good Luck
N.

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J.S.

answers from New York on

Some students take time to learn the the basics of education. A lot more patience is needed and give some tome to practice. You will get some tips for the learning problems online. Search for the tips ans find the effective and better way of improving the learning.
http://www.blogandjournal.com/usefulness-of-technologies-...

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T.A.

answers from Washington DC on

Rare is it that I've seen a mommy's gut be wrong.

You have a few choices for testing: if you have health coverage, you can get him tested privately. For this route, it depends a lot on where you live (which I don't know). Find the best hospital and go there. Your pediatrician should have good recommendations for you too. (Although your garden variety pediatrician generally won't diagnose a learning disability, he'll say, "Looks like he has a delay...go get him tested.")

Another option, which is also a good one, is to call your local school district and make arrangements to have an "early intervention" test. Many if not all the districts to this now and at no cost to you.

Go with your gut, J..

Email me if you need anything.

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M.W.

answers from Philadelphia on

I have a son who is now 20 years old. His heart stop beating during delivery. His name is Ricky. Well from the time he was little keeping him focus was challenging in itself. His father and I did everything we thought good parents should do. We read to our children every night, worked with them to prepare them for kindergarden, and ect. My experiences with doctors was helpful, I was told that some children who have problems during delivery could be related to add. Well of course I did not want to hear that. Years ago that was harder than today. Our job as parents is to do whatever we can to help our children to have a better life. I think taking your son to the doctors would be a very wise decision. Not only you can find answers to your situation, but help you understand about the problem, if there is one. Also children do learn at different stages in their lives, some are little slow speaking and then when they learn to speak, its like oh no they never be quiets,lol. I would also try to teach them their abc's and make it a game, only do a few at a time, and when He gets them take him out for an icecream or what ever he likes to do. Some children need a little encouragement. Whatever you choose I think He is lucky to have a mom like you. God Bless, M.

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H.

answers from Pittsburgh on

I agree with everything everyone else has said on here. One word of advice if the pediatrician you are using is the same one who evaluated your son at the hospital after he was born, go to a different pediatrician for a second opinion. There was a major lawsuit here in the last year for injuries a little girl sustained at birth and the pediatrician denied the extent of the issues for many years. Good luck!
H.

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M.B.

answers from Philadelphia on

if it makes you feel better to have him tested, then do it, but albert einstein didn't speak till he was 4 yrs old. some kids are verbal, some not, some kids remember everything they are told (like my son,,, trust me it isn't always wonderful..lol).. but each is different. I have never pushed my kids, i have made them do "the work" and enjoy learning... never test etc. or do flashcareds..ug..... or whatnot. just relax, he will come into his own. both kids get a's and b's without trouble.. it will be fine. you just don't want them to have a bad "taste in their mounth" for learning.
good luck
mother of 8 and 10 yr old

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D.E.

answers from Lancaster on

I would definitely have him tested. Pending the outcome, you may want a second opinion. I am not sure if the loss of oxygen would have anything to do with it. I would also try different methods of teaching him (if you haven't done so already) to see how he learns. He is only 4 years old and has atleast another year until he begins kindergarten. There is still plenty of time for him to learn his ABC's, but I would consider the testing just to put your mind at ease.

I hope this helps! Good Luck!

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K.K.

answers from Washington DC on

Have you contacted his pediatrician? If not you might want to start there. I also know in my county there is an Infant and Toddler program that is free because it is part of the Public School system. They were extremely helpful when my daughter refused to crawl and should have been learning to pull herself up. They are located in Glen Burnie. I wish you the best.

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M.M.

answers from Washington DC on

R u rushing the learning process? Pls reconsider..

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K.S.

answers from Washington DC on

Two issues: (1) Your worry about what problems he might have due to having no oxygen for 30 seconds, and (2) whether he has a learning disability because at four years old he doesn't know his ABCs.

For the first issue, ask your child's pediatrician for a reality check. Bring the child's medical record from when he was born (ask the hospital he was born at for a copy, if you don't have one already).

For the second, ask your child's preschool teacher, for a reality check. If he hasn't gone to preschool yet, enroll him. Then ask the preschool teacher about his ability to learn after she's had some time to get to know him.

Have him evaluated if you're still worried, by the county, just to make sure.

My firstborn was born with an Apgar of 4 and he reads four grade levels ahead.

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C.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

Call your local school district and have him evaluated...if he has any kind of learning disability, they will help him learn threw special programs....They have to provide education from age three so just call...My daughter has pdd and is three and we are just finishing up all the evaluations takes three months..so i will find out the outcome next week...

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D.N.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Hi J.,
I don't know about the loss of oxygen at birth, that is something I would want to look into. My son is 5 and he struggled to learn his ABC's at 4. The only way he learned them was the leap frog video. Now, that series is what got him interested in reading. I do have a lot, I mean a lot of friends with children with learning disabilities. It almost seems like an epidemic. My son still has speech problems. He has never been diagonised with anything I really believe that he has. But I am glad I got him tested, as are all of my friends. The only reason is because they are receiveing awesome free help and support. My husband has trouble with labels but I don't care because after we got him tested we got help. I only wished I would have had him tested at 2.
Best of luck to you. I hope it is just a boy thing!
take care
diane

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