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SUSPECTED DISABILITY:
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF A CHILD HAS A DISABILITY? The information below was taken from Saifer, S. The early childhood teacher’s manual: Practical solutions to every problem. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 2003. We highly recommend this text for its practical suggestions for meeting the needs of all children in your classroom. |
A child in your class who is clumsy and has many accidents in the playground may have large-motor coordination or sensory integration problems and should be looked at by a physical therapist. A child (over three and a half) who has difficulty putting together simple puzzles, drawing simple shapes, getting dressed, or eating a meal without making a mess may have fine-motor coordination problems, and should be looked at by an occupational therapist. A child who never seems to listen to you or seems lost in her own world may have problems hearing and should be seen by a physician; an audiologist; or an ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT). A child who bumps into things and has trouble concentrating may not be seeing well and should be seen by an ophthalmologist. A child who says very little or talks in “baby talk” may have speech or language problems (the most common disability in young children) and should be seen be a speech therapist.
