School problems Assessment Questionnaire

Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

Why: e.g. learning difficulty, social problems, deterioration in school work, getting into trouble, poor school attendance, conflict with peers at school, conflict with teacher at school, bullying from peers.

Why: e.g. prenatal infections, prenatal drugs and toxins, birth trauma or neonatal infection. Prematurity, lack of oxygen during childbirth and other factors during this period are sometimes associated with subsequent developmental difficulties. However, the majority of children with school problems do not have an abnormal perinatal history, and conversely a significant number of children with perinatal stress subsequently have normal academic achievement.

Why: e.g. smiling, able to remain in sitting position unsupported, crawled, walked.

Why: assesses expressive language.

Why: assesses receptive language. Receptive language is usually well in advance of expressive language.

Why: the parent is usually the first to suspect a hearing problem.

Why: Many factors in the child's environment may contribute significantly to their ability to learn and consequent school problems. Determine if home environment is appropriately stimulating to enable good language development and presents opportunities for a wide variety of play experience.

Why: Children from deprived socioeconomic circumstances are at risk of learning difficulties and school problems (due to family disruptions, suboptimal medical care and nutrition, lack of early stimulation, low parental education and expectations).

Why: In some children there does seem to be an inherited basis for their learning difficulties.

Why: e.g. recurrent ear infections may result in a hearing problem and speech delay; prolonged hospitalization may cause transient learning difficulties; Children with any form of chronic disease may have learning difficulties and school problems (due to multiple factors including the illness itself, side effects from medications, frequent absences from school or reduced self confidence due their perception as being different).

Why: e.g. chronic marijuana or cannabis use can interfere with cognitive, concentration and memory processes to limit learning.

Why: Competence in language is an essential component of school success. Children with receptive language difficulty have difficulty understanding auditory commands. They may have difficulty following instructions and explanations, and have subsequent problems with reading. These children often have secondary problems with attention and behavior in the classroom.

Why: Competence in language is an essential component of school success. Children with expressive language difficulty have difficulty expressing what they want to say, and often have difficulty with peer relationships because of their weakness in verbal communication. These children often have secondary problems with attention and behavior in the classroom.

Why: may suggest attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Note that some children will have these behaviors as part of their intrinsic make-up, some may be due to emotional problems and anxiety, and some children may have these behaviors secondary to hearing deficits or developmental weaknesses.

Why: e.g. poor eye contact, aloneness, difficulties relating to peers - may suggest autism as cause of learning difficulty.

Why: Increasingly it is being recognised that children with subtle hearing problems are at a major risk of learning difficulties and school dysfunction. These children may develop subtle language and academic problems, as well as problems with attention and behavior.

Why: Children with any form of visual problems which affect acuity or eye movements will similarly be at risk of learning difficulties and school dysfunction.

Why: Children with weaknesses in gross motor function appear poorly coordinated and clumsy and often are isolated from their peer group. This may have a secondary effect on self-esteem, which may affect their classroom motivation and performance.

Why: e.g. depressed mood, crying spells, anhedonia (loss of interest or pleasure), increase or decrease in appetite (usually decreased), weight loss or gain, insomnia or increased sleeping (usually early morning waking), fatigue, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, feelings of excessive guilt, poor concentration, difficulty making decisions. Depression may be mistaken for or imprecisely described as a learning disability.

Why: e.g. child begins talking late; adds new words slowly and has difficulty rhyming; inability to recognise words and letters on a printed page; a reading ability well below the expected level for age of the child; problems processing and understanding what they hear; may have difficulty comprehending rapid instructions, following more than one command at a time or remembering a sequence of things; reversal of letters (b for d) and reversal of words (saw for was) persisting after the age of 6.

Why: e.g. engaging in one-sided, long winded conversations, without noticing if the listener is listening or trying to change the subject; displaying unusual nonverbal communication such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions or awkward body postures and gestures; showing an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects such as baseball, statistics, train schedules, weather or snakes; appearing not to understand, empathize with, or be sensitive to others.

Why: e.g. direct reports from children, precocious sexual interest or preoccupation, indiscreet masturbatory activity, repeated absconding from home, social withdrawal, social isolation, fear and distrust of authorities, negative self-esteem, depression, suicidal behavior, substance abuse, somatic complaints including abdominal and pelvic pain.