DIAGNOSING CHILDREN WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
The United States
In the United States, teachers are responsible for identifying students whom they suspect may have a learning disability or need accommodations in the classroom.
In the United States, it is not uncommon for parents to have to take their child somewhere to be tested for a specific learning disability
Due to high numbers in classes, teachers have increasingly had more trouble having time and resources to identify children who may need to be tested.
This means in the U.S.- Parents are finding themselves in a more active role.
Prevalence of children aged 3-17 years ever diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, by sex, age, and race
and ethnicity: United States, 2014-2016
France
​Testing
The system for diagnosing children with learning disabilities relies on the parents to take their child to be screened.
Low academic performance may be one indicator that a parent should take their child to be tested.
As a result, a lot of cases remain undiagnosed.
There are a select few schools in France that test all primary school students.
Low scores on these tests may indicate that the parents of the child should take them to a doctor for formal testing.
These tests are problematic as many of them are IQ tests that test the logical reasoning, problem-solving, critical thinking, and adaptation of the student.
Unlike what one may think, a low score in any of these areas does not necessarily indicate that they are underdeveloped in that skill. The person may have the same problem-solving and reasoning skills as another child without a learning disability.
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Prenatal Genetic Testing
Within the past decade, prenatal genetic testing for learning disabilities has become a popular topic.
It is quite a controversial one since some doctors are recommending that parents get an abortion if they find that the child may be physically disabled which is a very ableist point of view.
Knowing whether your child has any kind of disability prior to birth can be used to help parents seek advice and attend classes that may teach them how to accommodate their child's needs.
Some genetic disorders, such as Fragile X and down syndrome, are often correlated with learning disabilities and can be detected during pregnancy.
While there is a genetic component to learning disabilities, other causes include childhood trauma or conditions during a mother's pregnancy such as a mother's illness.
For this reason, genetic testing can not always predict whether a child will have or develop a learning disability.
