In searching for ways to help children with specific learning disabilities, remember to give them tools to empower themselves. Your job as a parent is not to “cure” the specific learning disability, but to give your child the support system and emotional tools they need, to deal with the challenges. In the long run this will make your child grow stronger and more resilient. This article will speak primarily about ways that can help you in dealing with your child’s SLD, and how can better help your child with an SLD to emerge as an independent and fulfilled individual.
In searching for ways to help children with specific learning disabilities, remember to give them tools to empower themselves. Your job as a parent is not to “cure” the specific learning disability, but to give your child the support system and emotional tools they need, to deal with the challenges. In the long run this will make your child grow stronger and more resilient. This article will speak primarily about ways that can help you in dealing with your child’s SLD, and how can better help your child with an SLD to emerge as an independent and fulfilled individual.
Remember that the way you behave and respond to challenges has a big impact on your child. A blameless and positive attitude may not solve the problems associated with a specific learning disability, but it can give your child hope and confidence that things can improve, that it is just a condition, and that they will eventually succeed.
When it comes to specific learning disabilities, have an eagle’s eye and look at the big picture. So, what are some of the ways that may help you in dealing with your child’s specific learning disability? Let us take a look!
Stay updated with new developments in specific learning disability programs, therapies, and educational techniques. Find the tools your child needs in order to learn.
Ask for help from the school every now and then. Embrace your role as a proactive parent with effective communication skills.
A specific learning disability is not impossible to deal with. Everyone faces obstacles. It is up to you as a parent or a caretaker to teach your child how to deal with those obstacles without getting discouraged, or overwhelmed. Do not let the tests, school system, endless assessments, and paperwork distract you from what is really important, which is giving your child adequate emotional and moral support.
Your impact outweighs all others. Your child will follow your lead. If you approach learning difficulties with flexibility and hard work, your child is likely to learn and accept the challenges as nothing but minor speed breakers, which can be easily overcome.
The child’s program should not circle inside the specific learning disability bubble. Nurture the activities where they excel, and make plenty of time for them. Your child must be seen without a specific learning disability lens. They are much more than that. A specific learning disability points out specific zones of weakness, but there are many more areas of assets.
When we understand the diverse types of learning disorders and their signs, it is easier to address the exact challenges the child expresses, and find a specific learning disability management program that works.
Now, let us talk about how you can better help your child with a specific learning disability!
In today's time, you have to be the one who should be navigating your child’s education. Do not throw your responsibility on someone else to give your child the tools required for learning. Take an active part in your child’s learning and education.
Understand the special education laws as per the education boards and ask for the best support for your child at school. Your child is entitled to various accommodations and support services, but the school might be too busy to provide them until you demand them to be provided.
Communicating with the school- Asking for special services for your child can be challenging. A sought-after research along with clear communication and negotiation skills is required to help your child avail the accommodations.
Is your child an auditory learner, a kinaesthetic learner, or a visual learner? Once you know how your child learns best, you can try to reinforce those kinds of learning at home, and in the classroom.
Success holds different meanings to different people, but your hopes and dreams for your child must extend beyond good report cards. You might be hoping that your child gets a fulfilling job and long-lasting, satisfying relationships. The point is that life success depends not only on academics, but on things like how positive is one’s sense of self, one’s ability to form and maintain interpersonal relationships, ability to ask for help, and much more, rather than just getting good scores in the report card.
Skills for success with a specific learning disability in life:-
A 20-year study that followed children with specific learning disabilities into adulthood identified the following attributes for life success.
a) Self-awareness and self-confidence
b) Being proactive
c) Perseverance
d) Help them to learn to set SMART goals
e) Practising how to ask for help
f) The ability to handle stress
Sound learning involves a sound mind, sound body, and high attention levels. It is crucial, then, to emphasise the importance of healthy lifestyle habits in children. If children with specific learning disabilities follow a proper diet, and get a good sleep and exercise, their focus and attention levels would rise tremendously.
Emotional resilience must be built in addition to healthy physical habits. Doing activities with them gives them outlets for expressing their emotions, such as love, excitement, pleasure, as well as bottled-up anger, frustration, or feelings of discouragement. Give them a patient ear. Listen when they want to talk, and create a safe space, an environment open to expression. Doing so will help them to regulate their emotions and connect with their feelings to calm themselves. Teach them that it is okay to go through feelings of pain sometimes, what is important is to know how to process them and come out as stronger individuals.
The hardest part of parenting is remembering to take care and prioritise oneself, which will in turn enable us to take better care of others. It is easiest to be caught up in what your child needs, while forgetting your own needs. However, if you ignore your well-being, you might face major burnout. It is important to be physically, mentally, and emotionally strong so that you are in a healthy space for your child and can provide them with the support system that they require. You will not be able to help your child if you are stressed out, exhausted, and emotionally depleted. When you are calm and focused, on the other hand, you are better able to forge a bond with your child, and help them stay calm and attentive too. Your spouse, friends, and family members can all be made as stakeholders, helpful as and when the help is required.
While parenting in itself is a complex and dynamic process, parenting a child with a specific learning disability requires even more sensitivity and care. Parents of children with an SLD must ensure that they stay proactive in terms of seeking relevant knowledge about the specific learning disability management programs, facilitating communication with the concerned people, understanding their child’s strengths and weaknesses, taking care of themselves as much as they care for their children, and most importantly, maintaining healthy lifestyle habits and a positive attitude throughout their journey of parenthood.
- Geetika Kumar is a counselling and rehabilitation psychologist accredited with the Rehabilitation Council of India. She specialises in child psychology and has extensive experience working with special children with intellectual disability, ADHD, autism, and other related issues.
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