Parents of children with a learning disability are often worried with the numerous tests and are confused regarding what to do to get the best guidance for their child. The best way out is to be equipped with all the relevant knowledge to provide your child with the proper educational service. Apart from this, your role as a parent is critical. Identify the symptoms of a disability at an early age and intervene. Your support and encouragement can do wonders. This is because a learning disability is all due to a minor flaw in the brain, which can be minimized by creating a positive frame of mind for the child.

What is a learning disability?
A learning disability is not a problem with your child’s intelligence. It is because there is a difference in different brains as to how any information is received, processed, stored and communicated. This is the reason that many children hear, see and understand things in a different manner than others.

There is a new ray of hope in this regard. The knowledge of neuroplasticity (brain’s ability to continually renew itself by generating new brain cells and making new connections) is being used to create new treatments for children with any type of learning disability.

Symptoms of learning disability:
Being aware of the common signs and symptoms such disorders in children, a parent can catch such problems and take the right steps to get your child help. Hence it is crucial to pay heed to whether the child is reaching normal development levels at the right time or not. Some problematic situations include:

Motor difficulties: If your child has difficult in coordinating the limbs, to perform activities such as running, jumping, writing or cutting, there may be a problem with the hand-eye coordination. Such children can have problems in simple activities that include buttoning a shirt, tying shoe laces, etc.

Math difficulties: A child’s ability to do maths is dependent on varied factors. It can depend on a visual disorder, or a problem with memorizing, sequencing and organizing. Such a child can have problems with numbers, signs, and struggle with basic calculations. They can also have trouble in telling time.

Language difficulties: This includes communication problems. If you find your child having problems in explaining himself fully, speaking fluently and also in understanding a story, directions, meaning of sentences and words, the child may have a language-related learning disorder.

Reading difficulties: Some children can find themselves in a fix when they are asked to read aloud in the class. They have difficulty in understanding the relation between words, letters and their sounds. Other complexities may include inability to get the meaning of words and groups of words. You can make this out if the child is unable to recognize letters, or understand words. They can have general problems with their vocabulary.

Writing difficulties: Your child can score extremely low and the teacher may complain that the child makes a lot of spelling mistakes. If you see that the child’s notebook is full of meaningless signs or distorted letters, it indicates that he/she has difficulty in letter formation. Such children cannot effectively comprehend and synthesize information to put it on paper.

Some learning disorders:
Based on the above symptoms, some of the learning disorders include: dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, auditory/ visual processing disorder, and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), although not considered a disability but makes it difficult to learn many things.

Role of parents: Once you have recognized certain symptoms for a disorder, contact a doctor to get proper tests done. It is important that you neither ignore such symptoms nor get depressed by the results. You are the support system of the child. Get yourself equipped with all knowledge regarding the child’s problem and always stay focussed and positive. Be calm with your child and make him/her practice to improve. It can be frustrating at times but never let your child feel that you are disappointed in him/her.  Provide your child with both emotional as well as educational support.