Back to school tips for parents of children with learning disabilities

If you're the parent of a student getting ready to head back to school, you know are probably dealing with mixed emotions and some nervousness.  Now imagine how difficult the same task is for parents supporting students with learning disabilities or ADHD.  Read on for suggestions on supporting kids who find this time of year especially challenging.

Rhonda

By Angela Rudderham, Director of Turning Tides Community Outreach

Bridgeway Academy

September can be a dreadful time of year if school is challenging for your child. This is often the case of children who have learning disabilities.  For these students, school is where their weaknesses can be exposed or focused on, and this can create a lot of stress and anxiety. They worry that teachers will not understand their learning disability or label them as lazy. They also worry about making friends and avoiding bullies. They wonder if they will find their classes and know what to do and when to do it. They worry about how much homework they will get and how will they ever complete it.  These worries start to trickle into daily activities in the form of attitude, meltdowns, irritability, change in sleep, stomach aches, and headaches, and will have parents feeling ready for summer vacation to end.

Likewise parents can have some real concerns regarding the start of a new school year. Will the teacher want to teach my child the way that they learn best? Will the school understand how my child’s learning disability affects their behaviour and know what to do about it?  Will the right supports be put in place for my child? How do I become proactive without being perceived as a nuisance? Here are some suggestions that will take some of the anxieties away and start the year off on the right foot for both you and your child.

Be present at school. Request a meeting with the school. Ask for the teacher, principal, and any other support staff to be present. Come prepared knowing what you would like to discuss. Share any information that will help your child’s school understand your child best.  Together decide how you will stay current on how your child is doing at school and what you can do to support their progress. Parents and schools may not always agree but it is best for your child if you work at maintaining strong relations.

Readjust bedtime a week before school starts. It is easy to get off schedule in the summer when there is fewer responsibilities to attend to during the day. Most students find their bedtime informally extended. Keep in mind the body will take time to adjust to a new schedule. An earlier bedtime left to the night before, combined with the first day jitters, will surely lead to a sleepless night and a stressful day.

Teach your child to be a self advocate. Your child should know how he/she learns best. They should know their strengths and areas that need work. They should know how to ask for what they need politely and calmly and without embarrassment.

Listen to your child’s concerns. Giving your child a chance to express their feelings without your advice, corrections or dismissals is extremely important to helping them work things out. If your child complains that they hate school. Our first reaction is to tell them why it is important or what they could do to enjoy it better. What your child wants is for you to hear them. Know what they are feeling.  Validating their feelings does not mean you agree with them. Try something like, “It must be awful to go to a place every day that you don’t like.” Once they realize they are not being judged on their comments they may share the more intimate reasons they dislike school. You can also prompt a reason by asking what they dislike most about school. Suggest you both think of plan to make that situation better.

Get them excited about organization.  This will be a challenge; however studies show that children can improve their performance at school by improving their organization. Go shopping for practical and fun school supplies.  Create an organization station somewhere in the house. You may not have a permanent desk or study, in which case you can use a bin that can be taken out at homework time and tucked away again. Your organization station should include all supplies that would be necessary for completing homework and projects, including a file folder that is labelled with each subject for storing old papers that may be needed later for a test.  Designate a place for homework such as the front sleeve of a binder so your child will always know where his homework is.  Create a check list with the steps to completing homework that includes putting it in its proper place so that it makes it to class, the steps to cleaning out their book bag and replenishing it of necessary supplies. Doing this every night will ensure a good habit.

Give your child a place to shine. Quite often students who have a learning disability suffer from low self-esteem and poor self-concept as their weaknesses are often on display and judged. Getting them evolved in an activity (in or outside of school), where they can shine and their strengths are highlighted, will assist in developing a healthy self image. Sometimes it is hard to find a talent or interest, but everyone has one. This may need some creative thought. It may mean having a dinosaur club at your home every Wednesday night.

Put outside of school supports in place before there is an issue. Whether it is education about your child’s specific strengths and areas of need, social skills training, organizational skills training, homework help or reading support there are plenty programs available to give your child the extra boost they may need.