Red flags for children younger than 5 include trouble learning numbers (1-9), colors, shapes, or the first letters of the alphabet.
Jeff is 4 and has trouble using crayons and struggles with buttoning, zipping and tying. He also has difficulty following directions and paying attention to what he and others are doing. His poor concentration and difficulty sticking with an activity until completion causes behavioral problems.
Mom’s greatest concern is that Jeff’s speech seems delayed and he doesn’t pronounce sounds correctly.
It’s typical that children struggle with several areas of development at the same time. Also, they learn at very different rates.
Don’t ignore your concerns. Jeff needs to be evaluated by an educational specialist and speech and language therapist to determine if he is developing competently enough to learn once he reaches school age.
Early and appropriate intervention is the most successful approach to managing developmental disabilities and delays like Jeff's.
Claudia
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