We have been hearing from many parents who, after several months of home-schooling, have concerns about their children’s cognitive abilities, possible learning difficulties, or gaps in knowledge.

For many parents, it was an eye-opening experience to see how their children struggled with many aspects of learning, including:

• poor memory, not retaining knowledge from lesson to lesson
• comprehension issues, does not fully understand instructions or assigned texts
• written expression issues, can not adequately express their thoughts in writing, lack of sophistication in written word versus spoken word
• lack of focus, can not train their attention to a task as needed
• can not work independently, does not reliably finish assignments when working alone
• poor organisational skills, does not know how to manage their various tasks

For some, the lack of in-class teaching and daily structure resulted in their children regressing, exhibiting “babyish” or other age-inappropriate behaviours. In some cases, the lack of routine also brought out troubling anxiety-related symptoms such as ticks, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, and varying types of body-focused repetitive behaviours like skin-picking and hair-pulling.

Before the next school year begins, a psychoeducational assessment may be in order. Assessments are available online or in-person.

An assessment will help identify any areas of weakness, and provide parents with a clear understanding of where children need support now, before classes resume. Children can then take the summer to fill gaps and address other concerns, without having to play catch up in the new academic year.

It is a proactive step that will bring both parents and children reassurance, and provide a plan for moving forward. Contact the BFDC today to make a booking.