Education Problem

Barriers to education

Social circumstances — drug/alcohol issues in the family, financial hardship, parental health/education literacy, societal beliefs, family stability.

Biological circumstances — behavioural issues, developmental delay, physical impairment of the five senses, genetic conditions.

Assessment

• A HEADSSS assessment can help understand what’s happening around the child.
• A physical examination of the senses should rule out perceptive losses.
• Consider audiology, vision testing, and cognitive/speech pathology assessment if a behavioural or developmental issue is suspected.

Referral

Referral to a paediatrician often requires these assessments to be completed first, plus support letters from the school (teacher/principal, school counsellor) and the patient’s parents.

The Conners Comprehensive Behaviour Rating Scales (CBRS) is used by psychologists and speech pathologists to provide a standardised assessment score.