How Do You Handle Kids With Learning Disabilities?
If you’ve noticed that your child struggles with persistent learning difficulties (writing, reading, mathematical reasoning, and others) during formal years of schooling, they may be suffering from a learning disability.
Symptoms like poor written expression with little or no clarity, struggling to remember facts, slow or effortful reading, inaccurate mathematical reasoning, or other academic skills with levels well below average are the first signs of one’s learning issues and should be addressed appropriately.
BriteLift is a specialized non-emergency medical transportation service in Chicagoland and Southeast Wisconsin that can help you with everything from wheelchair-friendly transportation close by and your little one’s special needs to organizing customized transportation for seniors.
You can also have doctor’s visits, airport transfers, social outings, and business travel arranged for acessible transportation with BriteLift. All of our staff are educated, trained, and equipped to work with people with mental, learning, and physical disabilities. In that sense, you can trust you’ll be getting the best non-emergency medical transportation near you.
Although advising with experts in learning disabilities is the first step towards helping your child live a happy, productive life, there are also a few more things you should consider when it comes to their development and a fulfilled life.
Here are 6 points that kids with learning disabilities would like you to know.
They Are Not Their Disorder
What most parents take a long time to understand is that, if their kids are showing any signs of learning difficulties, they are not being nasty or doing it on purpose. For your child to feel accepted and loved, and develop a healthy attitude towards their limitations, you need to understand that a disorder or disability is a single component of a person, not the entire person.
Don’t ever allow your child to be defined by their disability, i.e., for the limitation to take control over everything in their lives. Instead, cultivate the culture of acceptance, understanding of what’s happening, and a culture of finding solutions.
It’s Not Your Fault
Scolding a child with a learning disability is wrong, and so is doing the same thing to the parent of that child.
Parents tend to blame themselves for anything that’s happening to their offspring which is neither productive nor necessary. Why? Because:
- Learning disabilities are disorders like acne, diabetes, or any other and can be lessened or solved when approached appropriately
- You, as a parent, did nothing wrong to cause your child’s disability
When you start feeling bad about the situation you and your child are in, just remind yourself that it’s not anyone’s fault.
Need an accessible ride?
Whether it’s shopping, a doctor’s appointment, dinner with the family or a trip to the airport, BriteLift takes you where you want, when you want. Convenient. Safe. Reliable.
Their Feelings Count Too
If a child has a learning disability that doesn’t, in any way, connect to any type of emotional disability or delay. Negating or ignoring your child’s emotions is detrimental. A healthy child’s emotional well-being is as equally important for their proper development as is their physical or mental being.
Since, unfortunately, you won’t be able to control your child’s teacher’s behavior or the behavior of their peers, you can at least make sure their siblings support them at home, their family, and you, the parents.
Verbal and Physical Punishments Won’t Make Them Learn Any Faster
What most parents take a long time to understand is that, if their kids are showing any signs of learning difficulties, they are not being nasty or doing it on purpose. For your child to feel accepted and loved, and develop a healthy attitude towards their limitations, you need to understand that a disorder or disability is a single component of a person, not the entire person.
Don’t ever allow your child to be defined by their disability, i.e., for the limitation to take control over everything in their lives. Instead, cultivate the culture of acceptance, understanding of what’s happening, and a culture of finding solutions.
Little Accomplishments Mean a Lot to Them
Usually, what seems like a no big deal to adults can be a significant accomplishment to a child, particularly to a child who is struggling. You’ll help your child create bigger, greater accomplishments by noticing even the smallest ones.
Make a big thing out of little achievements and watch your child grow with confidence. If you show them you believe they’ll succeed, then they will too. And, most importantly, even when things get super hard for your child, and you!), don’t give up on them.
Pets Can Be Super Helpful for Them
Pet therapy is a well-known method that not only helps children with learning disabilities but is also very beneficial for other disorders, diagnosis and mental difficulties such as depression, anxiety, etc. too. How exactly are pets helpful for a child with a learning disability?
Aside from the pleasure in companionship and friendship, holding and petting a dog or cat has physical benefits of touch, and it helps a child’s overall sense of well-being. Knowing they are loved by their pets, and that they’ve got a friend to lean to will mean the world to them.
Being a parent to a child with a learning disability is not easy and it may require more energy and patience than it normally would. However, with the right attitude, you can organize things in a way that everyone enjoys your child’s childhood, and make the best of it.
Book With BriteLift for Your Child
For children with special needs, BriteLift is your transportation of choice, especially when your child requires accessible transportation to their appointments and regular visits to the doctor. If you’re looking for special-needs transportation in Chicago and SE Wisconsin, look no further than BriteLift.
Reserve a ride with us today.
Advanced Reservation, Multiple Stops & On-Demand Rides
With BriteLift you can reserve multiple rides in advance. You can manage all your rides onlineor with our mobile app. Reserving in advance means you’ll always have a dedicated vehicle at the exact time you need it. We strive to provide on-demand rides where possible. Call our Customer serveice center to discuss your plans.
