Dr. Robert Needlman
Specialist in pediatric behavior and development.
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 Ask Dr. Needlman
Should 'Delayed' Child Start Kindergarten? | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Needlman,
I have a four-year-old who has been labeled with Developmental Delay. Anyway, my concern is that he will not sit down to color, or do a project for very long--he does a quick scribble and moves on. Now I am being told by his preschool teacher that he doesn't know how to color or cut and that he really doesn't know the basics like the numbers or letters. So I have decided to put him back in a three-year-old program, where he can learn the basics. I also have decided to wait a year for him to start kindergarten. This has been eating away at me because I am afraid I am making the wrong decision. My other concern is what if down the road he has to be kept back again? Then he will be two years behind the other kids. He also is a very big kid for his age. He towers over the other four-year-olds in his class. I know this is a lot of information, but I am hoping for a little advice to ease my worries. Thank you.— lefty7845 in Virginia Beach, Virginia | | | ANSWER |
January 17, 2002 | | | Dear lefty7845,
The label "Developmental Delay," can mean different things. It includes children who have only mild difficulties with, for example, making themselves understood. A 4 year old child who is only interested in playing, and can't (or won't) sit still for a lesson might be considered delayed.
Children with mild delays often do well if they have the chance to repeat kindergarten, after which they are ready to move forward at a regular pace. Children with more severe delays may actually learn more slowly than other children. As a result, these children tend to fall further behind each year, and they do not benefit from simply repeating regular grades. Instead they do best in school programs that present information to them at a slower pace and use other techniques to help them to learn.
There is a very strong federal law that gives all children the right to (in the words of the law) "a free and appropriate education." The key word is appropriate. The kind of education your son receives (for example, whether in a regular classroom, or a special-education class) should be appropriate to him, that is, decided on the basis of what he needs in order to succeed to his fullest potential. Read more about this in our section on learning problems. Then talk with your local school about arranging an individualized evaluation for your child, which will lead to a educational plan just for him. Depending on the evaluation, that may mean keeping him back, or promoting him to a class where he can succeed and learn.— by Robert Needlman, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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