Children with Learning Disabilities: Parenting Advice

There is so much you as a parent can do to help your child achieve their full potential. We’ll explore some of the skills you as a parent can cultivate and how to help your child with homework, but first we’ll look at how having a learning disability affects your child.

How Learning Disabilities Affect A Child
Learning disabilities don’t just affect a child’s academic life, they also shape a child’s social life, family environment and self-esteem. Here’s a look at how learning disabilities affect a child’s behaviors:

 

  • poor judgment skills
  • difficulty interpreting social cues
  • low frustration tolerance
  • immature behavior
  • acts bossy toward others
  • difficulty setting realistic goals
  • difficulty figuring out priority

    Setting a Routine
    A child with a learning disability will greatly benefit from having a set schedule to follow. A schedule that is followed daily means they don’t have to contribute much mental energy to figuring out what new things are going to happen every day. This frees up their memory powers to use on academic pursuits or other areas of difficulty.

    Get a Tutor
    Getting a tutor is a great idea for kids with learning disabilities. Just make sure that you’ve spoken with the tutor and outlined the difficulties they may face when they teach a child with a learning disability. Sit down with the tutor and come up with an educational plan that addresses your child’s needs.

    A tutor can greatly help a child succeed academically. For more tips on academic success, visit our article on academic success with ADHD, which is one type of learning disability.

    Use Clear, Straightforward Language
    Whether you’re giving them directions as to where they can find the hammer and nails or conversing at the breakfast table, be sure to use clear, direct language. Use simple sentences. This will not only help your child better understand you and their environment, it will help your child learn to use direct language when communicating with others, making them better understood and alleviating the frustration that comes with being misunderstood.

    Help for Parents
    While your child needs help and support from you, you will also likely need some help and support yourself. Consider visiting a chat room to get in touch with other parents who have a child with a learning disability. There are also a number of organizations that are have numerous resources online to help out parents.

     

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