There’s no denying that parenting a child with learning disabilities can be highly stressful. That said, it can also be a journey of growth and resilience, both for your child and you.
Learning disabilities are not a lack of intellect. It simply implies that information and knowledge is processed differently. Plenty of children with learning disabilities display remarkable memory retention and thinking skills.
Knowing what you can do as a parent will go a long way toward protecting your child’s wellbeing, and perhaps even bringing their innate gifts to light.
Acknowledge your circumstances
If your child has a learning disability, embrace it. Accept that there will be many challenges and moments where you’ll doubt your ability to understand your child’s needs.
This is a simple but incredibly crucial step, because denial breeds negligence.
Be VERY informed on your child’s development
This doesn’t simply mean getting a professional diagnosis. Stay informed through books, reputable online resources or engaging with other parents that have similar challenges.
The key takeaway is that the best way to raise your child isn’t necessarily set in stone. There may be other parenting ideas that work better depending on the circumstances.
Staying informed makes it more likely that you’ll be able to adapt your parental support toward your child accordingly. But speaking of support…
Establish a support group
Don’t underestimate the benefit of having a community of like-minded individuals to rely on.
Your friends and family can be an amazing support group. But if they don’t understand what it means to care for a child with developmental challenges, you could find yourself more stressed than supported.
So reach out to other parents with similar circumstances. Creating this social network can help remind you that you’re not alone.
Schedule regular play dates
You might be inclined to keep your child away from other kids, but in many cases this does far more harm than good. After all, your child should be highly adept within society in order to truly thrive.
So help your child make friends. Socialization is one of the best sources of learning.
Creating awareness for your child
Stereotypes on learning disabilities clearly do not help your child, but thankfully you can combat this by being your child’s spokesperson.
Don’t shy away from talking about your child’s developmental challenges. Whenever someone asks, educate them. Doing this can slowly build a community around your child that does not discriminate against them for their learning disabilities.
References
Rochelle Amelia Fernandes (2021) How Children Can Overcome Challenges Associated With Learning Disabilities [Accessed 2 October 2023] Available at: https://bweducation.businessworld.in/article/How-Children-Can-Overcome-Challenges-Associated-With-Learning-Disabilities-/18-01-2021-366729/
Gina Kemp (2023) Helping Children with Learning Disabilities [Accessed 2 October 2023] Available at: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/autism-learning-disabilities/helping-children-with-learning-disabilities.htm