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Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
Published on: September 27, 2020
Paediatrician's role in caring for children with learning difficulties.
Gehan Roberts1, Anna Price, Frank Oberklaid
1Centre for Community Child Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Australia. gehan.roberts@rch.org.au
Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health
|May 25, 2012
Summary
Australian paediatricians show diverse practices in assessing, referring, and managing children with learning difficulties. There is a need for evidence-based guidelines to standardize care for these students.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Learning difficulties are prevalent in Australian pediatric outpatient settings.
- Current practice patterns for assessing, referring, and managing these children are not well-understood.
- There is a lack of consensus on best practices for pediatric care of learning difficulties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the consistency of Australian pediatricians' assessment practices.
- To investigate the consistency of Australian pediatricians' referral patterns.
- To analyze the consistency of Australian pediatricians' management strategies for children with learning difficulties.
Main Methods:
- An online survey was distributed to 373 Australian Paediatric Research Network members in 2010.
- Paediatricians reporting on children with learning difficulties were surveyed about their practices.
- Response rate was 49% (181 paediatricians), with 140 seeing patients with learning difficulties.
Main Results:
- Common assessments included audiology (75%), parent/teacher questionnaires (60-65%), and teacher contact (51%).
- Referrals were most frequent to educational psychology (84%), speech therapy (66%), and special education (61%).
- Management often involved school/parent reports (76%/66%) and recommendations for sleep hygiene (75%) and tutoring (66%).
Conclusions:
- Australian paediatric practice regarding learning difficulties is highly variable, particularly in management.
- Significant diversity exists in how paediatricians assess and refer children with learning challenges.
- The findings highlight the need for evidence-based guidelines to improve consistency and quality of care.
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