A learning disability should not stop children from getting support, encouragement, and love from their parents, as it reinforces self-confidence and enables them to keep going when things get tough.
Many children with learning disabilities struggle in school before being diagnosed, which can make them feel unmotivated and insecure. Educators can’t afford to stop the lesson or repeat it for one child, as there is a lengthy curriculum that needs to be taught in a short period of time.
Receiving extra support, whether it’s homework help or verbal reassuring, can greatly help your child succeed in both their academic and social life.
Understanding how to recognize the signs of a learning disorder is essential when trying to provide the appropriate support for your child at home.
What is a Learning Disability?
A learning disability is a neurological condition that limits someone’s capacity to process, retain, or utilize information successfully. Reading, writing, speaking, listening, calculating, and reasoning can be challenging for those with learning difficulties.
This neurological condition affects the brain’s ability to send, receive, and process information. These processing problems interfere with learning skills such as organization, time planning, attention, and other cognitive operations.
A common misconception about learning disabilities is that they only affect an individual’s academic ability. However, a person’s relationship with friends, family, and coworkers can also be impacted.
There is a wide range of learning disorders, each type having its own symptoms and challenges. The following are a few typical learning disabilities:
- Reading, spelling, and writing difficulties are caused by dyslexia.
- Problems understanding math and numbers result from dyscalculia.
- Writing and fine motor skills are hindered by a condition known as dysgraphia.
- Auditory Processing Disorder is a disorder of the auditory system that makes it difficult to understand speech and sounds.
- Nonverbal Learning Disorder refers to problems understanding nonverbal cues, interacting socially, and being spatially aware.
Finding resources to handle ADHD, dyscalculia, dyslexia and other learning disabilities for parents can be incredibly challenging, as there’s no set treatment for these disorders.
Supporting a child with a learning disability necessitates a complex strategy that takes into account their unique requirements and offers them tailored care. Here are a few tactics that may be useful:
Intervene Early To Improve Outcomes
For children with learning disabilities, early intervention is essential. According to research, early detection and intervention can increase a child’s prospects of academic and life success.
Several steps are involved in early intervention:
Screening
To quickly determine whether a kid might have a learning problem, a screening is conducted. A teacher, school psychologist, or medical specialist could carry out this task. Asking questions or observing the child’s performance and behaviour are also possible screening methods.
Evaluation
A more thorough evaluation may be required if the screening shows that a kid may have a learning problem. A group of experts, including a speech therapist, occupational therapist, and school psychologist, may be included in this evaluation. Testing of the cognitive and academic abilities, observation, and parent and child interviews are all possible components of the examination.
Intervention
When a learning disability is recognized, the right therapies can be implemented. These solutions could involve specialized instruction, accommodations and changes in the classroom, and therapy or counselling. The interventions ought to be customized to the needs of the particular child.
Follow-up
In order to make sure that the therapies are successful and that the child is improving, regular monitoring and follow-up are crucial. Reevaluation, modifications to the interventions, and parent-teacher contact may all be part of the follow-up process.
A learning handicap doesn’t have to significantly impede a child’s academic and social development if it is treated early. It can enhance a child’s overall quality of life and aid in the development of independence and self-confidence.
Focus on the Strengths, Not Just the Weaknesses
Everyone has things that they’re good at and things that they struggle with.
A learning disability only represents one area of weakness, but it’s important to remember that there are many more areas of strength that compensate for it. Focus on the activities that your child excels in, nurturing the skill and making it even stronger.
Nevertheless, weaknesses shouldn’t be pushed aside and ignored but should be worked on and improved. Practice makes perfect, which is why plenty of time should be allocated to enhancing their skill sets.
Praise Effort Rather Than Outcome
Focusing on your child getting the wrong or right answer can be extremely discouraging for kids with learning disabilities.
Try having a good attitude and praising effort while your child completes their tasks, as it motivates them to do their best.
Saying things like “I like how hard you’re trying to figure out this math problem,” or “ I’m really proud of you for completing this page!” boosts self-confidence and encourages them to continue doing well.
Provide Breaks In Between Tasks
It has been proven that people do better and work longer when they take short breaks between each task.
For children with learning disabilities such as ADHD or dyslexia, it’s best to sandwich difficult tasks between easier ones. For example, if your child enjoys reading more than solving math problems, start by doing some of the reading, take a break, then have them complete the math assignment.
Always try to end the day with them completing their favourite subject’s homework, as it leaves a positive impression after a long day.
Exercise breaks can also help refresh and restart their brains, increasing their productivity when they return to the task at hand.
Overcome Learning Disabilities With Waystone Psychology
Learning disabilities have a huge impact on our daily functioning that can affect the people around us.
Although there’s no cure for learning disabilities, learning coping strategies and working towards improving reading, writing, and concentration can help make life a little easier.
Our expert psychologists will work with your child to improve their skills using a specialized approach that is suitable for their specific learning style.
Reach out to us to learn more about our ADHD and dyslexia resources and begin the journey toward well-being.