Abstract
Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the diagnosis process of children with specific learning disabilities according to the views of child and adolescent psychiatrists.
Material and Methods: This study is a phenomenology study based on qualitative research methods. Data collection in the research was carried out by semi-structured interview technique. The participant group of the study consisted of 17 child and adolescent psychiatrists.
Results: Research findings were gathered under the headings of evaluation, problems and suggestions. In the evaluation findings, the most coded item regarding how the diagnosis made was "clinical interview ", while the most coded items regarding the measurement tools used in the diagnosis process were "WISC-R" and "Specific Learning Disability Battery". The most frequently coded items regarding the problems occurring in the diagnosis process are "difficulty in taking anamnesis", "symptoms being confused because it is frequently associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder" and "not being able to get information from the teacher". The items coded regarding the expectations of the doctors from the families are "explaining the difficulties clearly experienced by the child" and "regular follow-up and close observation".
Conclusion: It was concluded that the decision was made mostly based on clinical interview in the diagnosis process of specific learning disabilities, and there was difficulty in taking the story of the child, therefore, more comprehensive information was needed from families and teachers. In line with the findings, following recommendations have been developed; families and teachers should be informed about the roles and responsibilities in diagnosis process of specific learning disabilities, researchers should work on the development of different measurement tools that can be used in the diagnosis of specific learning disabilities, and finally, the number of psychologists working in hospitals should be increased.