Learning Difficulties
Psychologists | Speech Language Pathologists | Occupational Therapists | Exercise Physiologists | Therapy Assistants
Psychologists | Speech Language Pathologists | Occupational Therapists | Exercise Physiologists | Therapy Assistants |
How psychology connects to learning difficulties
Learning difficulties can affect children in many ways, not just in the classroom, but in their confidence, their sense of self, and their emotional wellbeing. Children who find learning genuinely hard, despite their best efforts, are at risk of developing anxiety, low self-esteem, school avoidance, and low mood (particularly when their difficulties go unidentified or unsupported for a long period of time).
Psychologists play a key role in assessing and supporting learning difficulties not just identifying them, but understanding the full picture of how they're affecting a child's life, and providing support that goes beyond academic skill-building.
What can a psychologist help with?
Assessment
Emotional wellbeing
Building strategies
School advocacy and accommodations
How can psychology help?
- Comprehensive cognitive and learning assessments
- Identifying co-occurring profiles eg. ADHD, anxiety, processing differences
- Building emotional resilience and a positive learner identity
- Developing metacognitive strategies — helping children understand how they learn best
- Parent guidance on supporting learning at home without increasing pressure
- School collaboration and advocacy
- Reports for exam accommodations and NDIS applications
Understanding a child's learning profile opens doors — to accommodations, targeted support, and most importantly, to a child understanding themselves. Accurate identification helps children make sense of their own experience and stops them blaming themselves for something that isn't their fault.
FACT
"Getting a label will limit them."
Children with learning difficulties are frequently working significantly harder than their peers - just to keep up. The difficulty is real and neurological, not a result of effort or attitude. Recognising this is the first step to providing the right support.
FACT
"They're just not trying hard enough."
Myths and facts about learning difficulties
Myth
Myth
A speech pathology assessment focuses on the language and phonological foundations of literacy, including phonological awareness, vocabulary, and language comprehension. A psychological assessment focuses on broader cognitive processing, working memory, and specific learning differences like dyslexia. Both provide important and complementary information.
What's the difference between a speech pathology and psychology assessment for learning difficulties?
Can my child get extra time in exams based on a psychology assessment?
Yes, a psychological assessment that identifies a specific learning difference or cognitive difficulty can support an application for exam accommodations including extra time, a reader, a scribe, or use of a laptop. We're experienced in writing the supporting reports required.
Frequently asked questions
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