When parents are concerned about their child’s lack of progress in school, or about a poor report card, they often ask me whether or not their child might have a learning disability. They want to know WHY their child is struggling to learn. Most parents assume that there is something wrong with their child, something that needs ‘fixing’. The word they use for this is ‘disability’. They wonder if their child has a learning disability that stops them doing well, and if so, what that learning disability is.
Parents (and many educators) love labels. Labeling a child puts that child into a neat category where it either becomes someone else’s problem to solve, or which explains all the child’s issues.
But there are THREE reasons why children do not do learn well in school, I call them the 3D’s:
* Differences
* Difficulties
* Disabilities
And they require totally different approaches even though the child might develop many of the same symptoms.
If your child has a learning Difference he or she will need to be introduced to alternate teaching styles.
If your child has a learning Difficulty he or she will need to understand what that difficulty is and how to overcome it.
If your child has a learning Disability he or she will need long-term support to lessen the impact of the disability.
Before you try to provide your child extra support you need to look carefully at your child’s learning symptoms and make a correct diagnosis. Only then can you provide the type of support that addresses your child’s learning needs.
In the next few days I will be writing more about the 3D’s and how you can diagnose your child’s learning problems.
About PatriciaPorter
Follow Me!