By Sandie Balineau — certified orthopedagogue and certified psychopedagogue

When a child experiences persistent learning difficulties, a question often comes up very quickly: “

Is he dyslexic? Dyscalculic? Is it ADHD?”

This question is legitimate. When a disorder is present, identifying it helps us to better understand the child and to refer them to the appropriate professionals. But before the question of diagnosis even arises, another deserves to be asked: how does this child function when learning?

Because behind the same learning difficulty there can be very different ways of functioning.

One symptom, very different possible mechanisms

Take a child who cannot retain their lessons. One might quickly conclude that he ‘lacks memory’. Yet the reality may be quite different.

He may find it difficult to sustain his attention long enough to encode the information properly. He may understand his lesson but not know how to memorise it. He may still struggle to retrieve the information when he needs it.

For another child, the obstacle may relate more to understanding vocabulary or instructions. For yet another, stress or anxiety may disrupt the mobilisation of their resources.

Observing school results alone is therefore not always enough to understand what is going on. The psychopedagogical approach also seeks to observe the processes mobilised in order to learn.

From learning difficulty to learning profile: the contribution of the BPAE

It is from this perspective that the BPAE, Batterie Psychopédagogique des Apprentissages chez l’Enfant, designed by Louis-Adrien Eynard, was developed.

A psychologist and psychopedagogue, Louis-Adrien Eynard has been working in the field of learning disorders for many years. The official presentation of the BPAE states that he is its designer. He also took part in the development of the UDN-3, a dynamic assessment tool for the logical thinking of children and adolescents.

The BPAE aims to explore, in a structured way, several dimensions involved in learning in order to obtain an overall picture of how the child functions. It covers in particular oral and written language, mathematics, reasoning, executive functions, adaptive behaviour and emotions.

This approach is consistent with research showing the central role of executive functions — in particular inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility — in the regulation of behaviour and learning.

Also observe how the child goes about it

Beyond a score, the way the child approaches the task provides essential information: does he understand the instruction? Does he plan his work? Does he check his answers? Does he persevere when a first strategy fails? Can he explain how he went about it? Does he benefit from help or scaffolding?

These observations make it possible to move beyond the single question ‘does he succeed or not?’ and to focus on another question: ‘how does he learn, and what does he need in order to do better?’

Identifying is not diagnosing

This distinction is essential. A psychopedagogical assessment does not replace a medical, neuropsychological, speech and language therapy, psychomotor or occupational therapy assessment where one is indicated.

It can, however, contribute to identifying areas of vulnerability. If the profile observed reveals elements that may suggest a specific learning disorder, an attention disorder or another difficulty requiring specialist investigation, the child can then be referred to the appropriate professional.

This approach helps to avoid two opposite pitfalls: trivialising persistent difficulties or, conversely, interpreting any learning difficulty too quickly as the manifestation of a neurodevelopmental disorder.

Identifying vulnerabilities… but also strengths

Understanding a child is not only a matter of listing what causes them difficulty. An assessment should also make it possible to identify what they can build on.

A child may, for example, read laboriously while having a good understanding of spoken language. Another may struggle when information is purely verbal but be much more effective when it is organised visually.

These strengths make it possible to build strategies that no longer simply ask the child to ‘work harder’, but to work differently.

From assessment to concrete adjustments

An assessment is only worthwhile if it then makes it possible to act. Based on the profile observed, various options can be proposed: memorisation strategies, active retrieval of knowledge, visual supports, clarification of instructions, breaking tasks down, planning tools, adjusting the amount of written work or arranging the working environment.

Research in cognitive science also shows that not all study methods are equal: retrieval practice and distributed practice have a particularly strong evidence base for supporting learning.

Psychopedagogical observations can also feed exchanges between the family, the school and the professionals who support the child, and help in considering appropriate educational adjustments.

The aim is therefore not to place the child in an additional category. It is to answer a much more practical question: ‘What does this child need in order to learn in better conditions?’

Understanding before trying to correct

When a child works hard without achieving the expected results, repeating the same exercises even more is not necessarily the answer. It is sometimes necessary to start by understanding where the obstacle actually lies.

Behind a child described as inattentive, slow, disorganised or not very independent, there may be a way of functioning that deserves to be observed more closely. Understanding this functioning then makes it possible to propose more suitable strategies, to refer more appropriately when necessary and, above all, to restore meaning to the support provided.

About the author

Sandie Balineau is a certified orthopedagogue and certified psychopedagogue. A former teacher in the Éducation nationale, she holds a Master MEEF Recherche – Well-being in Education and a University Diploma in Neuroeducation. She works at the Cabinet Autypi in Brive-la-Gaillarde with children and adolescents experiencing learning difficulties. Her practice centres on psychopedagogical assessment, identification, remediation and the development of appropriate learning strategies.

References

Diamond, A. (2013). Executive Functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. DOI:

10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750.

Dunlosky, J., Rawson, K. A., Marsh, E. J., Nathan, M. J., & Willingham, D. T. (2013). Improving Students’ Learning With Effective Learning Techniques. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 14(1), 4–58. DOI: 10.1177/1529100612453266.

BPAE — Batterie Psychopédagogique des Apprentissages chez l’Enfant. Official presentation: bpae.fr.

Hogrefe France. UDN-3 — presentation of the tool and of the author team.