How to Help Your Kid With Learning Difficulties: A Parent’s Guide
Photo by Jon Flobrant on Unsplash
Being a parent is already a challenging role in itself. But when your child has a learning disability, it can present a whole new set of obstacles.
Parents of children with learning disabilities (LD) face unique challenges that include navigating a complex education system and advocating for their child’s specific needs.
If you have a child with a learning disability, you may also have difficulties finding adequate resources and support from their school. You may encounter challenges working with teachers and administrators to ensure your little one receives the support they need, such as extra time on tests, specialized instruction, or assistive technology.
Despite these challenges, you have to find ways to ensure your child receives the support they need to help them reach their full potential.
Regardless of the hurdles you have to undergo as a parent of a child with LD, know that you don’t have to go through these alone. You can get help from people who can support you and your little one throughout the journey.
Whether your child requires autism therapy in Dubai, supplementary tutoring, or remedial classes, you can always get the support you need.
Ways to Help Your Child With Learning Difficulties
If your child has recently been diagnosed with a learning disability and you’re looking for ways to help them cope with this difficulty, you can start by following these tips:
1. Nurture Your Child’s Intellectual Curiosity.
Curiosity is one of the vital characteristics you need to nurture in children with learning difficulties. This trait helps kids stay interested in their activities and find solutions to their problems.
To nurture this trait, be patient in answering your child’s questions and provide them with materials where they get more information about subjects they are interested in or curious about.
If you don’t know what your child is interested in, perform different activities with them. Take note of the ones they enjoy and hold their attention for a long time and ask many questions about.
2. Know Your Child’s Strengths and Help Them Learn to Use Them.
All children have their strengths and weaknesses. Although you need to put your efforts into helping your child manage their learning difficulties, you also have to focus on their strengths.
If your little one is good at painting, give them art supplies so they can practice and hone their skills. Ask them if they want to enroll in an art class so they can have more opportunities to let out their artistic side.
If your child is great in sports, provide them the gear they need to play and join teams. Ensure the school you enroll them in has a club and activities they can participate in.
To boost your child’s confidence, praise them often when they do well or succeed at a task.
3. Help Your Child Develop Their Social and Emotional Skills.
Children with learning disabilities are more likely to feel angry, sad and withdrawn due to the challenges they experience in school.
You can help them deal with these additional difficulties by enhancing their social and emotional skills.
Encourage your child to make friends and find ways to help them strengthen these bonds and broaden their social circle.
You can do this by arranging playdates and inviting your child’s friends, classmates and other kids their age to their birthday party and other events they can enjoy.
Also, encourage them to join clubs and teams and participate in activities that focus on friendship and fun.
Lastly, always be patient and show your love for your child especially when you see them having a hard time.
4. Take Responsibility for Your Child’s Education.
The right school can help your children manage their learning disabilities and help them succeed even if they have academic challenges.
Look for a school that promotes inclusion and has a learning program for students with special education needs and disabilities.
Discuss your goals for your child’s education with the school administration staff and teachers. Work with them to create a plan and develop some strategies that can help keep your little one from getting left behind in their school work.
If you’re unsatisfied with the school’s actions, speak to the staff again.
However, understand that there are limitations to what the school can do. Keep in mind that they are only one part of the solution for your child’s learning needs. Your acceptance, love and attitude will have a more significant and lasting impact on your little one.
5. Ensure Your Child Receives Tutoring.
Your little one will benefit from all the help they can get when studying, so make sure they can get it.
If you can find time to tutor your child, do so after their classes. Help them review or go over their notes so that they can remember what they learned.
If your child does not understand something, try to explain it to them. If you can’t, speak with their teacher and ask them to discuss it with your little one again.
In case you don’t have time to help your child after their classes, consider getting your child a tutor.
With personalized tutoring, your little one can tell the tutor what they’re learning in school and ask them to explain it to them so they can understand the topic better. They can also get help studying for upcoming quizzes and tests.
Your child can ask their tutor questions as well and receive feedback that meets their needs.
6. Consider Supplementary Therapies.
If you’re still wondering about how to help a child with a learning disability, consider getting them therapy.
Occupational therapy, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy in Dubai are additional treatment options that can help your little one.
Cognitive behavior therapy, or CBT, helps children with LD identify irrational and destructive thought patterns and replace them with healthier ones so that they avoid getting stressed and experiencing a downward spiral.
Another option is brain training, a non-invasive and drug-free therapy that can help children with learning difficulties manage their condition.
Through brain training, your child can improve their attention span and ability to learn and remember things. And this can help them manage their learning challenges better.
As a parent of a child with learning disabilities, you have to advocate for your little one. You have to keep fighting for their rights and work to break down barriers so that you can help them succeed in school and life.
Book a free 15-minute consultation with us to know more about the therapy options we can provide to children with learning difficulties.
Dr. Upasana Gala is the founder and CEO of Evolve Brain Training, a Neurofeedback-centered institute that focuses on using non-invasive brain training techniques to maximize the brain's true potential.
