The Ultimate Teaching Guide For Children With Learning Disability

A child with a learning disability can often leave parents confused and worried about their future and teaching. Learning disability, in its technical sense, includes all conditions that cause difficulty in learning and processing information. It can cause a child to have trouble with certain words, spellings, rhymes, arrangements and sequence, certain words, spatial perception in the paper, math, lack of attention, etc. Although it is still not often heard of in Indian society, it is estimated that over 20% of the population currently has dyslexia. Since these children process information in a different way, school and education for them might be different from the regular ones. In this blog, we will provide various special children teaching skills for parents.

Methods of teaching kids with Learning disability

Education of children with special needs is a much-discussed and researched topic among child neurologists. Teaching techniques helps in better understanding of the situation. A thing that parents of kids with LD need to understand foremost is that no two kids are going to have the same issues and as such, would need different ways of help and support. However, since learning disabilities can be broadly categorized into different types, let’s take a look at the teaching methods that are commonly used for each of them. Here are the most common special children schooling tips for parents: 

Strategies for children with reading and processing disabilities: 

• Encourage multiple readings of the same content.
• Encourage using highlighters or colored pens in books and notes.
• Refrain from putting them on the spot by asking them to read something aloud.
• Mark certain points where the student has to stop and review the previous content. This can help with comprehension and reasoning skills.
• Provide instructions in written and verbal format.
• Help students make index cards for harder subjects.
• Allow for recording of lectures.
• Use graphs and diagrams for visual learning.
• Provide students additional copies of the notes.

Strategies for children with writing disabilities: 

• Giving students an advanced reminded before any written test or homework.
• Extra time bracket for tests and graded projects.
• Encourage using grammar and spellcheck tools.
• Give instruction both in written and verbal format.
• Allow students to record lectures for later reference.
• In extreme cases, allow note taker.

Strategies for children with reasoning and math-related disabilities: 

• Permit using calculators in class.
• Encourage using different colors or highlighters when solving a problem.
• Break down and make a problem relatable using familiar everyday objects.
• Allow extra time for assessments.
• Use visual aids such as diagrams, pie charts and graphs.

Other neurological conditions:

• Let the student take frequent breaks amid long study hours
• Make revision compulsory
• Encourage active participation in class by asking questions and starting discussions
• Encourage highlighting and color-coding important information
• Give extra time during quizzes and assessments

Tips for special education at home for parents.

Are you wondering how to support a child with learning disabilities in school? Or maybe looking for special children schooling tips for parents? For kids with learning disabilities, parents are their biggest teachers and supporters. There are certain teaching methods that can help you and your child. Even when you have enrolled your child in a special disability school or a regular school that accommodates their needs, there is still a need for parental guidance. Below are some of the special teaching tips for parents of kids with LD:

• Mental support: The first and foremost thing a parent should do is assure their kids that they are not broken or abnormal. Kids with a learning disability might be mocked or teased for their weakness, and thus it is on the parents to regularly provide validation and love to overcome the bullying. 
• A designated study corner: Make a little studying corner for your kid in a quiet corner of your house. To prevent easy distraction, you can also provide them with noise-blocking earphones. 
• Keep your expectation realistic: Parents need to accept that their child will have problems with standardized or time quizzes. This will limit disappointment in both yourself and your child. 
• Praise and reward them: It is essential to always look after the self-esteem of your child with any LD. Praising and rewarding them for completion of tasks is a great way to build up confidence since a small age. Furthermore, the instant reward system has shown to be a great motivator for kids with ADHD.
• Provide breaks and alternate easier tasks with difficult ones: Understand that even easy questions might take a considerable effort or your child. Thus, it is essential to pace the study time with frequent breaks to rest their mind and keep them motivated. 
• Focus on overall development rather than academic milestones: This is an important special children schooling tips for parents. A lot of parents consider academic scores the end goal of education. Instead, focus on teaching your child life skills during their developmental years. Prepare your child to be independent and gain awareness of himself and the community. 
• Teach your child to process negative feeling safely: A child with a learning disability might face more frustration and anger than regular children. These feelings should be taught to handle in a way that does not lead to bad coping mechanisms. Learning to stay calm is one of the basic steps to success, not only for kids with LD but also regular people.

Conclusion

As a parent of a child with a learning disability, it is important for the parent not to lose hope. With proper attention and support, your child will be able to live a life as enriched and successful as their peers. To facilitate that, it is essential to choose the best medium of education that can specifically address their shortcomings. Whether looking for a school for your toddler or older kids, you should always look at your options carefully. If possible, you can also visit and have a chat with the teachers, so you understand their modus operandi better. Research the best methods for teaching kids with special abilities and look for those in the schools of your choice. Apply the teaching strategies. You can also find many special children’s schooling tips for parents online. Last but not least, remember that the end goal of education is not academic laurels rather to gain knowledge and lead a better, happier life.  

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