Children with Developmental Delays

Parents should consider the following situations of concern (red flags) in early childhood:

• Delayed speech development
• Delayed language development
• Hearing difficulties (even when corrected)
• Vision difficulties (even when corrected)
• Fine motor difficulties
• Delayed behavioural maturity
• Disinterest in learning-based play
• Disinterest in being read to

If any of the above delays occur in early childhood they can seriously affect a child’s performance in the first few grades of school.  Such children are generally slow to learn, to read, to write, to spell and to calculate.  This puts them at risk for failure in school in the later grades where even substantive learning assistance does not allow them to catch up to their peers.

Some causes of early developmental delays include:

• Early hearing difficulties (sometimes corrected by tubes in the ears)
• Vision difficulties (sometimes corrected by glasses)
• Behavioural immaturity
• Attention difficulties
• Fine motor difficulties
• Premature birth
• Early brain-based disease due to, for example, tumours, childhood cancer, meningitis, very high fever, etc.
• Pregnancy or birth complications
• Early chemotherapy or radiation
• Accident involving head injury

Even when these difficulties have been corrected the child’s brain still needs developmental opportunities to catch up.  If these opportunities are not provided, these children may not be developmentally ready to learn to read (a sound symbol association task) or to write or spell (visual motor tasks) or to calculate.  Further, these physical difficulties can cause delays in language acquisition, which is the underpinning for all success in school.

The childhood years between 3 and 6 are prime learning years for all children.  Identification of the problems and targetted intervention with play programs that are the underpinning of all academic learning as well as targetted school readiness skills in reading, language, math and general knowledge acquisition can ameliorate and even prevent serious difficulties as the child enters school.

Informal Testing and Program Development.  When delays are present and particularly when children are not speaking clearly and not providing at least 10-15 minutes of focused attention, standardized tests, even those specially designed for early childhood, generally show what the children do NOT know.  However, we need to find out what they DO know, and there are ways of doing this using informal criterion-referenced measures.  These measures allow us to create an inventory of basic childhood learning skills, such as: knowing letters, numbers, colours and shapes; being able to match visual items; and being able to copy, etc.  This inventory forms the platform on which a targetted intervention program can be built.

At the Vancouver Learning Centre, Dr. Geraldine Schwartz, Principal and Senior Psychologist, has had decades of experience with children of all ages, and she can develop individualized programs based on these informal assessment procedures.  These interventions will better prepare children to enter the public school system.  In addition, parents can receive instruction on play-based teaching and behaviour management so they become partners in developing the child’s increasing maturity and competence.

The process begins with a request for a free parent interview with Dr. Schwartz for an evaluation of the situation.  To arrange this first appointment call 604-738-2277 and speak to Andrew Taylor or Lindsay Sealey, or send an e-mail to info@vancouverlearningcentre.com. 

If it is determined that the child is an appropriate candidate for early intervention, then an assessment time will be provided.  An individualized program will emerge from the assessment.  This may include parent instruction and/or program delivery at the Vancouver Learning Centre.

The cost for the informal assessment and program design will range from $1200 to $2100.  The specific amount will depend on the child’s situation and what can be done at the first session.  A firm price within this range will be provided at the first interview.  The cost for lessons at the Vancouver learning Centre based on this program is $60 an hour.  Usually one or two hours a week is sufficient for as long as it takes to develop the skills to the degree possible before school.  The program design will cover the early childhood years to school entry as well as provide a post-kindergarten support system as needed.