Every child struggles from time to time. Some may have trouble with a concept in reading or math, while others may have difficulty processing instructions. Regardless of when or in what capacity the difficulty surfaces, whenever a child struggles in school or in life in general, there is a great chance that that they have a parent who is struggling to figure out how to support that child best too. 

When do you think I should get concerned?

This is always a great question and as you can imagine, there is no straightforward answer. Learning and developmental differences aren’t always obvious because kids grow at different developmental rates and 

Indicators for School-aged Children and Teens May Include  Challenges with:

• Following instructions.

• Getting (and staying) organized.

• Understanding verbal instructions.

• Learning facts and/or recalling information.

• Reading, spelling, and/or sounding out words.

• Writing legibly (not including poor handwriting)

• Focusing through the completion of a task.

• Explaining information clearly with speech and in writing.

• Completing math calculations and simple work problems.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Typically, diagnosis of a learning disability is achieved via a team approach involving parents or guardians, educators, and specialists.  Collaboration and communication amongst this team over time is essential for accurate diagnosis and some of the basic measures for diagnosis include:

• A medical exam, including a neurological exam to rule out other difficulties, such as emotional, intellectual, and/or developmental disorders.

• Reviewing a child’s developmental, social, and school performance history.

• A discussion of the family history.

• Academic and psychological testing.

While the path to diagnosis and successful intervention can vary from child to child, definitions for common learning disabilities are rooted in how well the child responds to tasks in reading, writing, and math, as well as the ability to pay attention, focus, organize, and retain information.

What exactly is a learning disability?

In simple terms, a learning disability is a disorder that affects the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding, or use of verbal or nonverbal information.  While it is obvious that these difficulties make it challenging for a student to learn through traditional methods, it is not difficult to see that these students are quite smart. 

Tips to Support Children Who Learn Differently

Although hearing an initial diagnosis of a “learning disability” can be difficult for parents, it often brings long-term relief to families.  Why? Because it removes the guesswork of figuring out the child is struggling. Additionally, knowing that students with learning differences are generally quite successful when provided the appropriate help and support from parents, teachers, and other professionals, is quite the bit of encouragement many parents need to hear.  When setting up a program, remember to:

• Focus on strengths, not just weaknesses. Children are multi-faceted and should not be defined by one difficult area.  A learning disability represents one aspect of your child, but there are many more areas of strength. 

• Identify resources and support groups. Learning differences are not uncommon. Find others who may share a similar story as you and your child. 

• Stay focused & maintain perspective.   All initial diagnoses are overwhelming. but be mindful that everyone faces obstacles in their homeschool journey at some point. Some of those obstacles are academic, some are behavioral, and some you simply will not quite be able to pinpoint for a while. 

• Plan for the future. Help your child develop skills that will prepare them for adulthood. Encourage them to build upon their strengths and understand the support they need to thrive.