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Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Tips to help children with learning disabilities

Determining whether your child has a learning disability is a complicated process. But after realizing that your child has some kind of learning disability, you can inform the teacher at the school so they can better handle the situation. This article is particulary helpful for teachers who want to help the students with learning disablities.


As a parent and especially a teacher, you can help your child have a more appropriate sense of themselves by reassuring them that there are specific reasons for their behaviors and sharing with them what the realities are of their particular and unique abilities.


Ways to help a student with a learning disability succeed at school


* Accommodations - these can be as simple as being seated in the front row, having extra time on tests, or can involve electronic equipment and auxiliary personnel
Compensatory strategies - ways to use their cognitive strengths to offset weaknesses. If they have poor auditory memory but strong visual memory, have them draw or write down the instructions

* Special education - instruction taught by specially trained personnel in smaller classes which focuses on working on specific skills
* Self-advocacy skills - empowering students to ask for what they need in order to learn in the most effective way. Motivate the child to ask questions if they don’t understand the instructions

Working with your child at home

When you work with your child at home on academic and life skills, you help them recognize their own strengths and increase their self-esteem. Examples of activities you can implement at home fall into several categories – accommodations, organization, critical thinking, and emotional support.

Ways to cope

- Take frequent breaks when doing homework
- Know your child’s primary learning style and adjust accordingly. For more information on primary learning styles see Helpguide’s article: Learning Disabilities – Types, Symptoms and Interventions - Accommodate for the child’s primary learning style by allowing them to pace around, listen to background music, attach visual displays to the walls, or wear earplugs or headphones if distracted by noise
- Provide a computer for written assignments if the child has difficulty writing
Organization
- Model and teach them how to make “to do” lists and prioritize their homework
Set aside a regular time each week for organizing workspace, belongings, schoolwork, and activities; make a game of it or provide a reward
- Give your child a task that requires organization: grocery shopping required for a recipe, planning a birthday party on a budget, using a map to figure out the route from one place to another.

Critical thinking

- Play games of strategy
- Talk about current events and ideas with multiple points of view
- Encourage all sorts of age-appropriate reading and writing

Emotional support

- Praise your child for the positive qualities they exhibit during the whole process of doing homework not just when they finish their homework
- Engage them in social problem-solving: how to resolve conflicts with friends, teachers, and kids who may be bothering them at school
- Encourage activities that your child enjoys and excels in
- Keep open lines of communication so your child feels comfortable discussing feelings with you
- Regulate your stress and help your children learn to regulate theirs
(Helpguide’s article: Coping with Stress: Management and Reduction Techniques)
- Let your children know that you enjoy their company by playing and talking with them. It’s important not to ignore other children in the family. Many activities geared for learning disabled children can include and benefit children without disabilities as well.

Source link: Help Guide

Related posts:

* "Ld Online"- A site helping us learn about learning disablities

* Art and craft activities help children with learning disabilities

* Learn about "Children with learning disablities

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1 comment:

  1. Hello. The problem that is touched in this post is very actual. I can understand you and agree with all the help that is suggested here. I think that the information is very useful for all people. Thanks for the post!

    ReplyDelete

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