Dyslexia is a specific learning difficulty that affects reading and spelling. Contrary to popular misconception, dyslexia is not due to the eyes or not being able to “see” the words. Rather, it is a phonological or sound-based issue where many dyslexics show difficulties detecting and/or linking sounds of language to its written form.

Dyscalculia is a specific learning difficulty that affects mathematics. Children with dyscalculia often show a poor sense of number, difficulties memorising math facts and weak math reasoning. High standards of math teaching and expectations in Singapore schools often make it difficult to detect dyscalculia.

Children with dysgraphia often show difficulties with spelling and writing. Their illegible handwriting often severely compromises their ability to demonstrate their knowledge in written examinations. They often try to avoid written tasks, write slowly and/or get frustrated when required to do handwritten work.

Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder may show specific challenges in sustaining attention or being overly active and impulsive. They may also exhibit a combination of such issues as well as other issues relating to executive functioning such as disorganisation and poor working memory.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder often struggle in interacting and communicating with others. They also show difficulties showing appropriate use of eye contact, body language and find it challenging to develop and maintain relationships. They often show restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours such as being inflexible about changes, repeating certain movements/speech phrases, having highly specific interests and/or unusual sensory interests.

Children with dyspraxia or developmental coordination disorder often show difficulties with gross/fine motor skills, bilateral coordination and balance. They often look clumsy and uncoordinated and would avoid sports and motor-based activities. Difficulties with motor sequencing and organisation often affect academic productivity (e.g., slow handwriting) and self-esteem.

Children with giftedness show exceptionally advanced abilities for their age and may benefit from special provisions to nurture their gifts and talents.

Children with Intellectual Disability show broad and significant difficulties in their thinking, social and practical skills. If these severely limit their ability to cope with mainstream school demands and personal independence, special educational placement may be required.

For some children with one or more special needs (e.g., ASD and/or ID) , mainstream school education may not be the right match for their developmental and learning needs. So, an evaluation on their intellectual abilities and adaptive functioning can be helpful to determine whether they are suitable to take the national or customised curriculum for their primary and secondary education.

Transitions from preschool to primary school can be challenging for young children. Many parents may worry if their child is ready to cope with the next phase of education. School readiness assessments that look into evaluating children’s cognitive abilities, academic skills and socio-emotional needs may be helpful to determine how strong the child’s foundations are in learning and where the gaps may be.

Gifted children can face specific challenges in their learning and processing that make them twice exceptional. These are highly intelligent children who struggle to attend or learn. It may not be easily identified as the child might learn to overcome of these difficulties by compensating (e.g., a gifted child memorising words to read and looking average in literacy tasks).