Is your child disruptive in class? Are they struggling in certain areas or constantly acting out? As a parent, it’s perfectly normal for you to be concerned. Fortunately, you’re not alone. Consider making an appointment with a specialist. They’ll be able to figure out if your child has any difficulties, learning disorders, or maladjustments. They’ll also address your concerns and help you find ways to support your child. Although an official diagnosis isn’t required to benefit from school-based services, an assessment helps to better target your child’s needs. Read on for tips on finding a specialist.
Parents and teachers are often the first to notice when a child is struggling. At home and in the classroom, certain problems are more obvious, especially if they’re related to the following:
- Autonomy
- Behaviour
- Language, reading, or writing
- Comprehension
- Memorization
- Adjustment
- Etc.
Most schools offer some assessment services. For a complete picture of your child’s well-being, consult a remedial teacher, a psychologist, a neuropsychologist, or a speech-language pathologist. These specialists can do the following:
- Perform an assessment
- Form a diagnosis or offer an expert opinion
- Propose potential courses of action
To access public services covered by RAMQ and obtain a referral for a specialist, you can contact the following:
- Your child’s school
- The integrated health and social services centre (CISSS) in your area
Since you know your child better than anyone else, you’re the expert when it comes to their behaviour. But once you’re in the specialist’s office, everything may seem to speed up. Under a volley of questions, you may have memory blanks. To make sure you don’t forget any details and are able to provide helpful information, take some time every day to write down the following:
- Any observed difficulties
- Where they happen
- When they happen
- How often they happen
- Their repercussions
- Your child’s strengths
- Etc.
Did you know? To make your life easier, we’ve created a practical guide to setting up an action plan. You can also use it to prepare for your meetings with different specialists.
To prepare for the appointment, you can also gather any of your child’s school documents that may be useful during the assessment. Here are a few examples:
- Assignments
- Tests
- Report cards
- Notes in your child’s agenda
- Etc.
With your help and the support of your child’s teachers, the specialist will make an assessment. They will then share their observations and recommend possible courses of action that involve the following:
- Implementing an action plan developed by you and the school
- Arranging for your child to receive support from specialized school staff
Learning disabilities are unrelated to IQ, but they do affect information processing. To find out more about learning disabilities, read our article or visit the Institut des troubles d’apprentissage website (French only).
Writing : The Alloprof Parents’ team
Scientific review : Mathieu Labine-Daigneault, M.Éd., Dir. gén. de l’Association des Orthopédagogues du Québec