Many Scots parents think their child has undiagnosed learning difficulty after lockdown, survey finds

A growing number of Scots parents think their child has undiagnosed learning difficulties after lockdown, according to new research.

In Glasgow the figure is as high as 17 per cent - the second highest in the UK after Cardiff.

In Edinburgh almost eight per cent of parents fear their child has a learning difficulty.

In both cities around 30 per cent of parents said they felt nervous about sending their children back to school.

Mr Sinclair was scared to take his daughter on days out after police visited him for a welfare check (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The research, which was carried out by Oxford Home Schooling, also found that half of all parents in the UK saw symptoms of dyslexia while they were homeschooling.

A whopping number of parents  - 78 per cent in Glasgow and 77 per cent in Edinburgh - were unhappy with the level of support they received from the child's school during lockdown.

Meanwhile 17 per cent of Glasgow parents and 19 percent of Edinburgh parents realised their child was less advanced than they thought.

The most common signs parents spotted in relation to learning difficulties were were an inability to express thoughts and feelings (22 per cent) and having issues with reading, like reading words backwards (20 per cent).

The NHS states that both of these are possible symptoms of dyslexia  - a learning difficulty that affects reading, writing and spelling.

Secondary school pupils will have to wear masks. (Getty Images)

The most common learning difficulties that parents spotted symptoms of while homeschooling were:

1. Dyslexia - problems with reading, writing and spelling - 47 per cent
2. Dysgraphia - impaired handwriting and/or spelling - 29 per cent
3. ADHD - inattentiveness and hyperactivity - 21 per cent
4. Dyscalculia - persistent difficulties with numbers - 19 per cent

Greg Smith, Head of Operations at Oxford Home Schooling, said: “One of the main benefits of homeschooling is that children receive a level of individual attention that is generally impossible to give in a traditional school environment.

Some children will go into school for just one day a week in certain council areas (Getty)

"Parents develop a close bond with their child and a deeper understanding of how they work.

"This explains why so many have noticed undiagnosed conditions while home educating during lockdown."

If you think your child might have a learning difficulty, you can read advice on how to support them here.