Ep. 105 - Is It a Learning Disability, a Skill Gap, or Something Else? How to Tell the Difference // Dr. Amy Moore & Sandy Zamalis — The Christy-Faith Show

Your child is struggling, and you don't know if it's a content gap, a skill gap, or something deeper. Should you change curriculum? Hire a tutor? Get a diagnosis? In this episode, homeschool expert and 20-year education veteran Christy-Faith sits down with Dr. Amy Moore (cognitive psychologist and ADHD mom) and Sandy Zamalis (cognitive skills specialist and former homeschool mom) from LearningRx to give you a clear framework for figuring out what's really going on—and what to do next.

If you've ever said, “I don't understand why you don't remember this—I taught this to you last week,” this episode is for you.

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Everything you need to start homeschooling — 8 steps, mapped out, ready to follow.
👉 christy-faith.com/the-new-homeschooler-roadmap

In this episode, you'll learn:

How to tell if your child has a content gap, a skill gap, or a true learning disability
When to change curriculum vs. when to call in a professional
Should you get a diagnosis? The real pros, cons, and costs
Which specialist to see first when your child is struggling (and which ones to skip)
Sudden behavior change vs. lifelong struggle: how to tell if it's medical (like PANDAS) or developmental
Why learning styles are a myth—and what working memory, automaticity, and prior knowledge actually predict
Why “they'll catch up eventually” is bad advice, based on research with 5,000+ struggling readers
What cognitive skills training is and why neuropsychologists keep recommending it

Sponsors:

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Resources mentioned:

LearningRx — Cognitive skills training centers nationwide: learningrx.com
The Brainy Moms Podcast (Dr. Amy Moore & Sandy Zamalis): learningrx.com/brainy-moms-podcast
The Christy-Faith List — Find homeschool-friendly providers: christy-faiths-list.com
Thrive Homeschool Community: christy-faith.com/thrive

About our guests:

Dr. Amy Moore is a cognitive psychologist, the Director of Psychology and Research for LearningRx, and co-host of the Brainy Moms podcast. She has a master's in early childhood education, a PhD in cognitive psychology, and is an ADHD mom who has ADHD herself.
👉 amymoorephd.com

Sandy Zamalis is a cognitive skills specialist and owner of two LearningRx centers. She is a former homeschool mom who homeschooled from preschool through high school and is part of LearningRx's Homeschool Partnership Program.
👉 thebrainymoms.com

Connect with Christy-Faith:

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