Manawatu Standard: Long waits for extra tutoring (ADHD, dyslexia)

April 11, 2014

Children with learning difficulties could slip through the cracks due to a shortage of specialists assessing and assisting them.

The demand for help for Kiwi children struggling with learning disabilities is increasing, with service providers reporting long waiting lists of children that need to be seen.

The New Zealand Dyslexia Foundation estimates one in 10 New Zealanders experience a learning difficulty, with more than 70,000 schoolchildren affected.

The small number of specialists who assess and diagnose learning difficulties have reported a growing workload, which education psychologists say is a concern.

Learning Disabilities Association of New Zealand has two registered assessors in Palmerston North with waiting lists three months long.

President Bill Glassey, who is based in the city, said he would assess one or two children a week – many of them referred by schools – for learning difficulties, such as ADHD, dyslexia or apraxia.

Read the full article here: http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/9930188/Long-waits-for-extra-tutoring

Join the SBN discussion!

Is this a universal problem faced by schoolchildren with learning difficulties? Please share your thoughts and relevant blog links below.