How to help children with Learning Disability

 "The only disability in life is a bad attitude."

-Scott Hamilton (Olympic gold medalist)

Somehow the term ‘DISABILITY' lends a sound of graveness and finality to the problem.

We have already changed our attitude and are ready to face the challenge ahead of us with a positive frame of mind. So, we will not call it disability anymore.

Yes. We have got rid of the disability known as wrong attitude.

What remains now is a learning difficulty.

Here is how you will start helping your child cope with his learning difficulties:

Talk to the child

Let him know that there is nothing wrong with him.

Sometimes the child knows or feels that he is having a problem. In that case, it is easy to explain to him that he is facing a difficulty in reading and writing and together you are going to work towards it. But be diplomatic.

And tell him only if he is ready.

Talk to the teacher

Explain to the teacher the kind of difficulty your child is experiencing. Request her to make your child sit close to her. Ask her to check whether he has taken down the homework. Ask her to appoint a buddy for him in the class who can help him complete his work.

Use aids - diagrams, charts etc.

Teaching aids are not just for teachers to use. You can use them at home too. You can make colourful diagrams and charts to teach your child and even create 3D models. It is up to you to use your creativity.
Just one word of caution: Do not spread out all your aids at the same time. Focus only on one topic.

Do not pressurise

Pressurising will only backfire. Take it easy. Go with the child at his pace. Do not drag him with you.

Take help from a trained remedial teacher

Whether you are a stay-at-home parent or working somewhere, by the time you sit with your child for his studies, you are exhausted and have very little patience to tolerate his mistakes. Then why not take help from a trained remedial teacher.

Find area of interest

"Disability is a matter of perception"
- Martina Navratilova
A child facing difficulties in one area could be gifted in another area.
Find out what your child is interested in and the area where he can excel. Is it sports, music, dance, art or some other creative field? Which subject does he like the most? Work on his strengths first to build his confidence.

Read home work for the child

And help him complete it. Encourage and motivate.

Use technology

Find interactive games and videos related to the topic you are trying to teach. This will also help in building interest and studies will not look like a burden.

Practice reading and writing

Practicing any skill will help in sharpening it. But do it in small doses and do it regularly. Writing in sand or tracing letters on sand paper cut outs will help in letter formation. Concentrate on one letter at a time. Read together placing your finger under the word that is being read.

Teach phonics

Knowing the sound of each letter in the alphabet will help with reading and spellings. Start with vowels and then move on to consonants and then go to blends.

Break complex instructions/tasks

If a task is too big or complicated, break it into several simpler, easily achievable tasks. It will be easier for the child to process simpler instructions. It will also give a sense of accomplishment to the child after each task is done.

Minimize distractions

Children get distracted easily. And children having learning problems get distracted even more easily. Reduce noise and clutter.

Allow breaks

Learning is an exhausting job. Allow the child to take breaks after few minutes of studying. Do not expect the child to concentrate continuously for more than 15 minutes.

Play games

Learn while playing!
E.g. spellings can be done while bouncing balls. Tables can be learnt while skipping.

Counting can be done anywhere, anytime…provided you turn it into a game. Make learning fun! Even older children will enjoy studies if you bring the fun factor in.

Record notes

If your child learns better by listening, record notes for him to listen.

One to one teaching

It is difficult for a child with Learning Disability to concentrate in a group. Teach one to one for best effect.

Educate yourself

Find out what concessions (extra time, writer during exams etc.) are given by the school to children with learning disabilities. Ask the school authorities what tests need to be done and from where in order to get concessions.

Let us help the child to get over his learning difficulty by being flexible in our teaching methods.

Maybe he is not able to articulate but this is what your child is saying to you: "If I can't learn the way you teach, will you teach me the way I learn?"

 

This was my third and last article on LD which was published on the parenting website.

http://blog.appystore.in/smart-parenting/how-to-help-kids-with-learning-disability/

Change your attitude to help your child with LD

 Let us play a little game. Answer the questions given below.

There are no right or wrong answers and you need not even tell anyone. Just answer them in your mind. The only condition is BE HONEST to yourself.

1. Do you think your child is dumb because he cannot understand basic instructions?
2. Do you think he is not reaching his true potential because he is lazy?
3. Do you think he makes mistakes because he is careless?
4. Do you think he would do well if there were no written exams but just orals because he hates writing?
5. Do you think that his notebooks are untidy and incomplete because he is just not bothered about studies?
6. Do you think that it would have been so much better if your child would have been like his elder/younger sibling or maybe even like the kid next door?
7. Do you think that your child is not appreciating your efforts by not giving you the desired results even though you are sending him to the best tuition classes in town?

If you have answered "yes" to at least 4 of the questions, your child probably has Learning Disability (LD) and you need to get an assessment done.

But for now I would suggest you to go back and read the first three words of each question. You would have noticed that each question begins with "do you think"

Yes, this blog is not about the child. It's about the parents.

It is not about what you should do with the child who has LD. It is about what you should do with yourselves.

Let us bring about a change in attitude and make the world a better place for the child.

Acceptance

If your child has a learning disability and you know it, then accept it. I know it is difficult to accept that our child is anything less than perfect but denial will only delay the remedial process.

Tolerance

A child having LD will make certain mistakes while reading and writing. Tolerate them. Oh! I do not mean to say ignore those mistakes. How will you work on his mistakes if you ignore. But do not make a big fuss over it.

Have realistic expectations

It will be difficult for your child to achieve his true potential while at school because unfortunately schools still focus on written performance. Don't expect your child to ace written exams if he has a learning disability no matter how good he is at orals.

Stop feeling inadequate and stop making the child feel so too

Okay. So, the kid next door is getting accolades for his academic performance while your child is struggling. But that should not make you feel inferior. You will just pass on that feeling to your child and make him feel inadequate too.

Don't get anxious

It is very important to keep on working with your child without getting over anxious. Parents who panic, end up doing too many things with their child and end up frustrating them.

Believe in your child's talents and abilities

Unfortunately we lay too much emphasis on studies. There are other areas where your child can excel. Nothing is impossible if you and your child work as a team. But first you will have to believe in your child's potential if you want him to be confident.

Stop thinking that your child is lazy or dumb.

He is not.

Equality

Don't compare your child unfavourably with his luckier siblings or friends. He is in no way inferior, so treat him equally with others.

Patience

Now that you have started working on your child's learning disability, have patience. Miracles don't happen. Your child will learn to cope up with it in due course of time.

Love

Of course, we all love our children. And children with LD are no exception. In fact they need more love and support at home because it is likely that they could be suffering a lot of humiliation (at times even rejection from peers) at school. Not all students are lucky to have fantastic teachers who can understand their problem. And if your child does have a great teacher, consider yourself blessed.

Have fun

Yes. Have fun with your child. Create that special bond where your child will be able to confide in you regarding his fears and failures. Be his best friend and not just a parent. No doubt you must be doing your duty, but having fun will bring you closer to your child.

Don't give up

The task is difficult. And it takes time. But don't give up.

Adopt the ‘I, WE, YOU approach
I - will help you.
We - will try.
You - can do it!

Remember, Agatha Christie got over her learning disability and went on to write great books. Believe it or not Albert Einstein too had a learning disability. Go ahead and google. You will find a list of great people who defeated LD and achieved greatness.

Your child can do it too.

Another article contributed to the same parenting website (the second in the series of three about LD)

http://blog.appystore.in/smart-parenting/12-changes-in-your-attitude-to-help-your-child-with-learning-disability/

Understanding and Identifying Learning Disability

 10 year old Ankit was restless and fidgeting with his pen by the time he had finished writing a paragraph about his ‘feavoriet aneml: the bog'.

"Good job, Ankit." I said and handed him Brainvita to play while I tried to understand what he had written.

"You really love dogs, don't you? Let us read this book about dogs." I said as we read the book together so that Ankit did not have to struggle hard with the text. This was a classic case of a child with LD.

What is LD?

Before we try to understand what Learning Disability (LD) is, let us understand what LD is not.

A. Learning Disability is NOT a disease.

Hence, it cannot be cured. But don't panic. It can be overcome.

B. LD is NOT mental retardation.

On the contrary, a child diagnosed with LD has average to above average intelligence.

What is LD?

Humans learn just like computers. We take INPUT from outside which we PROCESS and store in our MEMORY. We later recall it when required and give OUTPUT.

But for some children, this seemingly easy process is not very smooth. They could have difficulty in dealing with what they see or hear (input). At times, there could be difficulty in organising or remembering the information being processed or there could be problems related to expressing what they know (output).

The reason why this kind of difficulty is called ‘Learning Disability' is because despite having normal intelligence, some children have difficulty in learning.

In technical terms:

• Learning Disabilities are neuro-psychological problems.

• A child with LD will show specific disability in reading, writing or mathematical skills in presence of normal intelligence.

• A child is said to have learning disability when his/her achievement level is low as compared to ability.

Causes of LD

Though the exact cause of LD is not known, it is assumed to be genetic. It runs in the family.

Other causes

• It could be caused due to trauma before birth.

• Low birth weight and delayed crying after birth are also probable causes of LD.

• Certain infections like meningitis, brain tumours can cause LD.

• Head trauma and epilepsy may also cause LD.

Types of Learning Disabilities

Learning Disabilities are of three types:

1. DYSLEXIA: Difficulty with language and words. Problems with reading and spellings.

2. DYSGRAPHIA: Difficulty in writing.

3. DYSCALCULIA: Difficulty with mathematical reasoning and calculations.

Identifying LD

1. Children with LD are good at oral work, but, their written performance is poor.

2. Difficulty in remembering sequences like days of the week, months of the year, even letters of the alphabet

3. Losing place in the page while reading

4. Difficulty in copying from the blackboard

5. Mirroring and inversions e.g. writing "b" for "d" and "u" for "n" (though this is fairly common among all children up to grade 2)

6. Skipping or adding words while reading

7. Guessing the words from the first letter instead of reading

8. Jumbled spellings

9. Inserting vowels in words unnecessarily

10. Reading words backwards e.g. "god" instead of "dog"

11. Jumbled sentences

12. Illegible handwriting due to difficulty in forming letters

13. Writing too large or too small

14. Writing too hard sometimes tearing the paper

15. Incomplete and untidy work

16. Inattentive and hyperactive

17. Mixing up mathematical symbols. Confusion between "=" and "-"; "+" and "x"

18. Difficulty with remembering tables

19. Cannot understand word problems

20. Reading numbers backwards e.g. 53 instead of 35

21. Confusion in space orientation. Cannot distinguish between left and right

Though LD is not diagnosed till reading and writing starts in school, there are some signs to watch out for in early childhood which suggest the presence of LD.

• Slight delays in gross motor development—
  • Difficulties in balancing
  • Falling often
  • Difficulties in throwing and catching
  • Walking into walls and doors

• Difficulty in fine motor skills. E.g. problems in buttoning clothes, tying laces etc.

• Difficulty in repeating songs and jingles.

• Restlessness and hyperactivity.

A positive attitude is what you need to help a child having LD. It can be remediated with love, support and guidance from a trained educator.

I had contributed this article to a parenting website few years ago. You can click the link below to read it from there.

http://blog.appystore.in/smart-parenting/understanding-and-identifying-learning-disability-in-kids/