Learning Delay in 5 Year Old

Greetings C., I saw ther e were several postings from you and then I spoted this one and wanted to share my insights as a parent with a child that has Asperger's Syndrome and can't handle anything being out of order.
This is normal for your child- it doesn't matter if its different for another child. I have 5 children and live got busy when he was little and as he got older we learned a few tricks. I made sure that I got up early enough to have things already started and in order when he got up. I would explain any changes that were going to happen and include him -- I made the mistake of changing furniture around and he moved it back ! I think that at five - and even if younger emotionally you can talk them through all your steps it will take the anxitey out of it. I found for our son that to put him in group settings didn't help only made it worse. He would hide and play by himself. I did find 2 children that he could "parrot" to learn how others did things and he was not threatened by them. So check with the school/talk to parents there and see who can come to your house for a play date. If you weren't so far away I'd invite you here. See if there is a child from church or neighborhood that can be invited in. I have learned that it is easier for others to come to our home for several visits than to send him to another place. I also had him ina school that was set up for learning disabled children.
As for getting dressed either on the morning or night BELIEVE ME every mom has this battle one time or another. I had all my children set a clock and when it went off I turned off the TV and the music on & they had to put on pj's they had already picked out and were in the bed. The music stays on til an hour after or longer of bedtime. This has made a differance both in the morning and evening. Music that is calm or light hearted makes all the differance to calm fears. If I can be of any help please feel free to contact me, I can always find one of my friends with special needs children for an answer.
This is the start of many things in your journey of parenthood so be patient with yourself and your child. You will both be fine.

Hi C.,

I am not an expert here so I can only offer my opinion. I think probably a combination of techniques is most beneficial. My son had a speech delay and at 4 years old went to a speech preschool with other kids. He also had speech therapy later on (K+) which was pretty much one on one.

I liked the group time because I think it let him know that others have challenges just like him. The one on one time is beneficial also because it is concentrated.

Also your child's personality I think is a big factor. Is the child social or shy. If shy a group setting may be too intimidating to have much success.

Hopefully, my opinion on both will help a little. I am confident there are many moms out there who will give you more expert advice.

Good luck, I know we all want the best for our little ones and when they struggle it is painful for us. All will be well.

It really depends on your child. I recommend connecting with Parents Helping Parents in San Jose www.php.com.

Also, somewhere along the line, Schwab Learning "morphed" into "GreatSchools". Its a good resource: (the following is cut and pasted from one of the email I get from them)

About GreatSchools

GreatSchools is an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to inspire and guide parents to become effective champions of their children's education at home and in their communities. Parents turn to GreatSchools to find the right schools for their children, to get practical advice and information that will help them raise successful, college-ready kids, and to support the schools in their communities.

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My daughter was struggling with learning her letters and sounds in Kindergarten. We found a reading specialist who used the reading revolution method to help her learn sounds and identify letters. It was one-on-one though I think the teacher also had group sessions. It was very helpful. My daughter also saw her between 1st and 2nd grade (during the summer) and at this point they worked on reading. My daughter is doing great and as she got older her reading skills rapidly increased. Not to the level of my first daughter who was reading Harry Potter books by the end of second grade, but my younger daughter can read most books and decode difficult words. We paid about $50 for a one hour session. The person we worked with is fantastic but probably too far for you to visit. Please contact if you wish more info.

C.,
That so depends on the child. Has the child been evaluated? Do you know what the delay is, and what the educational needs are because of that delay?

Generally, the answer to that question is that children with learning delays who qualify for special education are to have as much of their instruction as is appropriate in the least restrictive envionment, which means, with their peers as much as posible. But that is so not the whole story for every kid. What do you REALLY want to know?

M.