s that would be considered the least important usually end up determining the child’s placement. If his writing is extremely large or small, it is often an indication of an emotional problem. Questions about the family and the child’s background may give the evaluator a good idea of what type of environment the child is growing up in. Often it is ascertained that one’s environment has a large affect on his performance. Lastly, the child is asked to either repeat a story that he saw on television or on the street. If the child is unable to do this it indicates to us that either the child doesn’t understand what he is watching or what he understands, or that he is just unable to express his recollection and thoughts. The formal tests are more clinical. The child is asked to complete a puzzle so that the evaluator can get a sense of the child’s visual-motor skills. The complexity of the puzzle used is determined by the age of the child and the reason for referral. Then the child is usually given all sorts of visual and mathematical tests. After the testing, both formal and informal, is complete, then, depending on the child’s performance, he is either continued forward or backward to assess the exact grade level of what he has accomplished. He may be lacking in some areas and ahead in others. There are often many problems in pinpointing the exact method of teaching which would best fit the child’s needs. Many schools work together to find the best methods, and they share information which they feel might help other schools to successfully teach these children. Today, throughout the educational system, there are many techniques used to teach children with learning problems. Things cannot just be taught to them; rather they must be fully presented to them through visual materials. It is important to allow for all kinds of expression, not just the basic reading/writing techniques. There are so many ...
