Hi min -
Metacognition, or thinking about thinking can include the ability to look at what is happening, figure out the main point of it, come up with a process to do it yourself, monitor performance along the way, evaluate the end result, and then make changes to improve.
This can happen in almost any learning situation - interpersonal interactions (how did that conversations go? why? what seems to work better? lets try another approach to see how it works), to school tasks: Hmmmmm I need to complete this writing assignment. What does the assignment want me to do? How will I be scored? What do I already know? How should I get started? What do I need to do to make sure I am on track? Did I do it right? How do I know? What will I do next time?
Kids with LD and attention issues often have trouble in some or most areas of metacognition. While medication can help them attend to the steps and the clues they need to pay attention to, they often need specific instruction on the steps to the active thinking and strategies needed for better results. The good news is that these are skills that can be taught.
I notice that you are from Canada - the special ed laws are a bit different. You will want to check with your department of education to find out about the school district's responsibilities are for evaluating (if any).
