Supporting Kids with Learning Disabilities
Written By Savvy Auntie Staff Writers
By Jaime Rochelle Herndon
October is Learning Disabilities Awareness Month, and as aunts, we can be wonderful supports for nieces or nephews who may have a learning disability (LD). An LD is when, even though someone has average or above average intelligence, he or she has a significant amount of trouble with learning basic academic skills. LDs can be found in reading difficulties, writing difficulties, and math difficulties. Other areas that can be problematic include attention span, memory, and social skills. Some kids have trouble in more than one area. The National Center for Learning Disabilities estimates that 15 to 20 percent of the U.S. population has an LD.
Kids with LDs are evaluated at school or by a private tester, to see if there is a discrepancy between the child’s abilities and their achievement. More and more, kids are receiving interventions before they fall too far behind their classmates. Interventions can include an in-class support person, special classes, extended time for tests, and more.
It can be really hard to watch our niece or nephew struggle in school, or see how it affects their self-esteem and self-concept. So what can we do? Learning about LDs and the specific LD your niece or nephew has can help provide you with an idea of what they specifically struggle with.
Learning disabilities do not have to hold your niece or nephew back. This is just a small part of who they are, and plenty of successful people have worked with and through their LDs. Focus on their strengths and offer to help them with homework, listen to any problems they might share with you – academic or social, talk with their parents about what they might need from you, and advocate for them if necessary, depending on your involvement with your niece or nephew. Let them know you’re there for them and you love them and are proud of them. LD’s have no reflection on their intelligence or what they are capable of. Once they get the support they need in school, it’s likely that their grades will improve, along with their self-esteem.
Interested in learning more about LDs? Here are some resources:
Learning Disabilities Association of America
National Center for Learning Disabilities
National Education Association
October 15, 2014