Learning disorder symptoms

Jennifer Cassatly, PsyD Psychologist, shares advice for parents on how to tell if your child's hyperactivity, attention, or concentration issues are caused by a learning disability or a different underlying issue
Learning Disorders in Children: Signs & Sypmtoms
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Learning disorder symptoms

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One of the most common questions parents come to me with for testing involve hyperactivity, attention, concentration, perceived laziness at home. They often wonder is this something that is willful defiant behavior or is there an actual underlying attentional or learning issue. And I think that when that question comes up, it's important that parents really look at it because the messages that we give children about their effort, their skills and their ability aren't always explicitly said but also demonstrated through the things that we don't say. When children are hyperactive at school, we want to have developmentally appropriate expectations. And we want to look at sort of why that occurs. What classroom is it? What subject? Because often times while hyperactivity in and of itself does not indicate an attentional disorder, it can reflect underlying difficulties with learning in a specific subject matter so we really want to look at that. With regard to laziness or sort of under activity at home that's a common concern for parents. And what I would say is we would look at those difficulties or the areas of concern and see what's occurring across settings, what's the context of the behaviors and also what are the parents expectations.

Jennifer Cassatly, PsyD Psychologist, shares advice for parents on how to tell if your child's hyperactivity, attention, or concentration issues are caused by a learning disability or a different underlying issue

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Jennifer Cassatly, PsyD

Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Cassatly has extensive training and experience working with children, adolescents, adults and families. She specializes in addressing symptoms of anxiety, depression, academic challenges, and low self-esteem that are often associated with youth diagnosed with learning differences, ADHD, and behavioral problems. She consults with school personnel and parents about special education, and collaborates with experts in associated fields including psychiatry, educational therapy, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and alternative/holistic therapies. In addition, she has worked as an adjunct professor and supervises doctoral interns in both her practice and in community agencies. Dr. Cassatly is committed to community service and has been actively involved with A Home Within, Venice Family Clinic, and The Housing and Education Program at the YMCA, Santa Monica.

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