Step 6: Take action. If your child's teacher gives you specific recommendations, such as speaking with your child's doctor or a specialist, make the necessary appointments. Follow through with any recommendations your child's teacher gives you for helping your child at home, such as setting up an organized study station for your child to do homework, spending extra time reading with your child, or practicing problem-solving and social skills. You may need to restructure your family's schedule and carve out time for these extra activities. Helping your child must be a high priority.

 

Step 7: Allow yourself time and space to grieve. As a parent, it is excruciatingly painful to watch your child struggle. Grieve the change of expectations and the loss of time and money and energy spent helping your child. Grieve the losses your child will bear as well. They are real. Allow yourself to grieve so that with open arms and a free heart you may embrace your child exactly as she is. Love, hope and acceptance are your most powerful tools as a parent. By following the steps outlined above, you put yourself in the best position to help your child meet her challenges head on and experience success in life.

 

Brief Explanations of Three Commonly Diagnosed Learning Differences

 

Dyslexia

Dyslexia is a language-based learning disability. Dys- meaning "difficult" and lexia meaning "words," it literally means having difficulty with words. Many people associate dyslexia with reversals and "seeing things backwards." While many dyslexics do substitute b for d and vice versa, it is incorrect and misleading to say that they actually see things backwards. Studies using neuro-imaging have shown that individuals with dyslexia use a different part of their brains to read words than most of the general population. It can be compared to taking the side roads rather than the freeway to arrive at a given destination.

 

ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This is a controversial, often misunderstood and misdiagnosed, but very real disorder. It is a common misconception to say that having ADHD means an inability to pay attention to anything. Individuals with ADHD all have great difficulty managing their attention, but this difficulty manifests itself in many different ways. One person may have trouble shifting her attention from one task to another. Another may have a tendency to pay attention to everything. For example: the way his shoes feel, buzzing fluorescent lights, the birds chirping outside, his teacher's voice, and what he ate for breakfast may all present themselves as equally important. Another individual may have difficulty maintaining a consistent level of attention over a period of time, especially if trying to attend to a task that is not particularly interesting. Many people with ADD/ADHD are able to hyper-focus and tune everything else out when pursuing their passions.