If a school-aged child (first grade or above) exhibits 5 or more of the following characteristics on a consistent basis, he/she may have a learning difference and be "at risk" for future academic problems. If parents or teachers are concerned, a developmental assessment, including a speech/language evaluation is recommended.

Does the child often:

• have a difficult time in social or academic settings even though he/she appears to be bright?
  
  
• have greater academic potential than he/she is exhibiting in the classroom setting?
  
  
• seem verbally precocious but is frequently "of topic" and make inappropriate statements in certain situations?
  
  
• have difficulty expressing himself to others in an organized way?
  
  
• have trouble recalling names and overuses the words "it", "they", "she", "he", and "things"?
  
  
• have poor comprehension skills?
  
  
• Have difficulty following a series of instructions?

• have trouble turning letters into sounds and groups of letters into words?
  
  
• have difficulty sequencing 4-8 events of a story or a movie?
  
  
• have poor organizational skills; for example, desk is a mess, forgets assignments, coat, lunch?
  
  
• exhibit inconsistencies in retaining learned material? (one day he/she understands it and the next day he/she doesn't seem to remember it.)