Watching a child or teen struggle with learning can be heart-wrenching. And the child struggling to keep up in class will have more work to finish at home, making homework time an uphill battle. This may indicate a learning challenge if your child consistently needs additional help and support to complete their assigned work. Spending more time reviewing a concept should result in gains in knowledge and comprehension. If repetition is not creating gains, complications may hold your child back.
Learning disabilities are disorders that complicate the process of learning. Learning disabilities affect the ability to understand or use spoken or written language, do mathematical calculations, coordinate movements, or direct attention. The most common age to be diagnosed with a learning disability is eight years old or 3rd grade.
The journey of a child receiving a learning disability diagnosis is usually not a short one. The American Academy of Pediatrics 2007 reported that the average period between a mother’s first suspicion of a problem and a diagnosis was 3.5 years. That’s three and a half years spent trying to keep up in class, spending extra time on work at home with escalating feelings of failure and frustration – for both the child and the parents or caregivers. And in those 3.5 years, kids usually fall further and further behind.
While it is easy to focus on the challenge in front of you – the child struggling to learn, it’s essential to keep in mind that early, foundational development contributes to developing a brain that is ready and able to learn. Missed or delayed motor milestones or retained developmental reflexes are early signs that growth may be veering off track, increasing the likelihood of learning challenges down the road. Watching for missed milestones can help a parent identify a gap in learning sooner, allowing for earlier opportunities for programs and interventions to change and support the learning complications.
For parents, after facing several years of frustrations with learning and then seeking out testing and assessments for a possible diagnosis, there can be a lot of emotions involved in the experience. The most considerable emotion is often worry. Worry about your child’s future, how this disorder may impact school and work, and how your child will feel about themselves and this new information. A 2018 study examining parent perceptions of specific learning disabilities found parents experienced emotions of rejection, denial, over-protection, and loss of hope due to a diagnosis. There can also be feelings of relief. Knowing that the struggles you observe are real and that you were correct in your suspicion of a challenge complicates the learning process.
As a parent or caregiver working to come to terms with a diagnosis of a learning disability, there are several vital things to keep in mind going forward to help your child thrive.
You are not alone.
Statistics from the National Center for Learning Disabilities indicate that 1 in 5 children have a learning disability or ADHD, which can impact learning. Five students face learning challenges in a class of 25.
A learning disability is not something you will outgrow.
While a learning disability is neurodevelopmental, a development that has veered off track will not likely correct itself over time. In fact, 48% of parents incorrectly believe that kids will outgrow their learning challenges.
A learning disability indicates how the brain processes and utilizes information, not intelligence.
A learning disability does not reflect intelligence. This can be both a help and a hindrance in detecting challenges. Children can be seen as lazy when parents and teachers know that the child is intelligent, yet the level of work and testing does not match what you feel that child can achieve.
Understanding your child’s brain helps to guide support.
Understanding the particular nuances of a learning disability will give you a more profound knowledge of why you see your child struggle in specific areas. Sharing this information with teachers, tutors, and your child can create awareness, understanding, and opportunities for interventions and support.
Learning disabilities can improve, including deficits in attention and dyslexia.
Know that the brain is malleable, and it is possible to support growth, development, and improvement in the neural networks and systems that contribute to learning. Recent research has begun to focus on changing existing challenges rather than modifications to work around a challenge. Research on dyslexia and ADHD demonstrates changes in symptoms following intervention programs. A review study examining 39 neuroimaging studies on dyslexia found positive activation, connectivity, and brain structure changes after interventions.
In some cases, the improvements were enough to normalize the condition of dyslexia. Multiple Brain Balance studies have demonstrated significant improvements in attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity as reported by parents, teachers, and clinicians and measured on cognition tests.
More information regarding developmental milestones involved in learning from birth through age 18 and tips and suggestions to support development in these areas are available in the book Back on Track: A Practical Guide to Help Kids of All Ages Thrive.
Dr. Jackson is the Chief Programs Officer for Brain Balance and the author of Back on Track, a #1 new release in Childhood Learning Disorders. This book is for every parent worried about their child and wanting to create change. It provides an action plan for parents to help their child thrive at school, home, and play from Dr. Rebecca Jackson, a professional who develops and implements brain-based wellness programs. Dr. Jackson helps parents better understand how development contributes to the success of learning and what parents can do to support their kids.