Studies show that, with the right support, children with learning disabilities have every chance of success at school. Education writer Marianne Stenger explains. Learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia and autism are not uncommon, and research shows that learning disabilities affect up to 10 per cent of children, even those with normal or high intelligence.
The good news is that with the right support, children with learning disabilities still have every chance of succeeding, and studies show that family involvement plays a big role in getting kids ready to enter school, promoting their school success and preparing them for university.
Of course, as a parent, discovering that your child has a learning disability can bring on a mix of emotions, from fear that he or she will be labelled as lazy or slow to feelings of guilt or despair.
Feeling this way is only natural, and one survey found that a third of parents of kids with learning disabilities said they didn’t feel prepared to take on the challenge. Many of the parents surveyed also said they felt isolated, guilty and stressed about their child’s future.
If this sounds familiar, here are some tips for supporting your child’s learning.
1. Learn as much as possible about your child’s disability
The term “learning disabilities” describes a variety of disorders that affect how a person processes and retains new information, so the first thing you can do as a parent is to learn as much as possible about your child’s specific disorder.
Experienced Early Childhood Specialist, Teacher and Director of Powerful Parenting Australia, Davina Sharry, says parents can benefit from conducting their own online search to learn as much as they can about their child’s reading, learning or behavioural disability.
“Of course, in Australia we have the big national and international websites, but I believe the power lies in local organisations,” she says. “If parents become familiar with local organisations online or in person, they can participate in workshops, information sessions and support groups.”
If you’re not sure where to begin, Sharry suggests signing up to relevant websites to receive newsletters and joining local groups and parent groups, which can be a wealth of knowledge and also connect you to further community services and help.
2. Collaborate with teachers
Another thing that can be beneficial is getting to know your child’s teachers before the school year begins and then communicating with them throughout the school year.
“Once you know who your child’s teachers will be for the following year, you can write an introductory letter to introduce yourself and your child. This establishes with the new teacher that you’re an active parent and that you care.”
Sharry explains that introducing yourself creates the opportunity to detail what strategies have worked well with your child so far and get across that you look forward to being involved in your child’s education.
“If you’re new to the school, be sure to provide all your child’s medical and academic records, as that’s the ‘go-to’ place for learning support specialists and it is imperative that they can read about your child and the diagnosis,” Sharry explains.
During the school year, she recommends being as active as possible by joining the school’s Facebook page, reading the school’s newsletters, attending parent-teacher interviews and participating in any school or community events.
“All this communicates to both the class teacher and your child that you are serious, involved and in the know,” she says.
3. Find out how you can help
It’s also a good idea to talk to your child’s teachers about what he or she is learning and how you can support their learning at home.
“If there are fundamental or foundational skills your child needs to learn, meet with the class teacher or learning support team from school and learn how to scaffold that learning for your child,” says Sharry.
“Many times, learning moves fast at school, and whilst teachers try hard to differentiate a child’s learning at their level, it can only help if parents are prepared to learn what to do and help at home. What greater gift would there be than to work with your child and give them this time?”
4. Provide opportunities for your child to use his or her strengths
Children with learning disabilities can suffer from low self-esteem, so one way to combat this is to help them focus on and develop their natural strengths and abilities.
“All children have different skills and things they are good at,” says Sharry. “Some may be good at running or swimming, while others are good at reading or listening; but they should all be allowed to feel good about themselves and their different talents, strengths and skills.”
With this in mind, try to work together with your child to figure out what they feel good about doing, whether it’s sports, singing, painting or photography, and then provide more opportunities for them to develop these talents, as this can help them build confidence in other areas too.