Today, professionals would know how to help Wallace. Dennis and Susan were able to get help because someone saw the problem and referred them for help. During routine checkups, the pediatrician, too, watches for more subtle signs of development. The parents and healthcare provider are watching for the child to achieve developmental milestones. The developmental milestones chart lists a few of these markers and the ages and grades that they typically appear.
Parents are usually the first to notice obvious delays in their child reaching early milestones.
The pediatrician may observe more subtle signs of minor neurological damage, such as a lack of coordination. But the classroom teacher, in fact, may be the first to notice the child's persistent difficulties in reading, writing, or arithmetic. As school tasks become more complex, a child with a learning disability may have problems mentally juggling more information. The learning problems of children who are quiet and polite in school may go unnoticed. Children with above average intelligence, who manage to maintain passing grades despite their disability, are even less likely to be identified.