Tag Archives: learning disabilities

Learning Disabled or Sleep Deprived?

The other day, I was sitting at my desk–totally overdosed on caffeine and absolutely exhausted; I couldn’t concentrate, I felt sick to my stomach and my eyes were blurry. It hit me that if a person walked in on me, they might think that I had some sort of a learning disability and it reminded me of when my kids were little and how they would inevitably get into trouble at school if they were not eating right or getting enough sleep. I couldn’t help but wonder how many children who are diagnosed with learning disabilities or learning problems might … Continue reading →

Resisting Early Labels

As single parents, we are often all that stands between our children and the outside world—this goes for doctors, teachers, institutions, etc. While we are normally, or ideally all on the same side when it comes to doing what is best for our children, ultimately we parents have to be the strongest and most informed advocates. I am of the opinion that we live in such a label-happy world; it seems everyone is eager to assign labels to children (and adults) regarding whether they are ADHD, have learning disabilities, are gifted, or whatever. And all of this labeling is getting … Continue reading →

Book Review: The Mislabeled Child

For unknown reasons, adopted children seem to have a much greater incidence of learning disorders than the general population. The Mislabeled Child can be a wonderful help for parents in getting beyond a label to the root of a child’s problem. Unlike many other books, this one also offers specific ideas, games and resources parents can use at home to strengthen certain skills. Spouses Brock and Fernette Eide, M.D.s, run the Eide Neurolearning Clinic in Washington State. They are researchers and clinicians in the field of learning disabilities. They also teach their own two children at home. The Eides share … Continue reading →

Great Expectations

This is another blog about how my feelings didn’t quite match up to my beliefs when put to the test. Is it easier to accept that our adopted children have special needs than it is with our birth children? To be sure, knowing ahead of time helps. We adopted our first daughter knowing there was a 50-50 chance she’d need open heart surgery within two years. It was a common, “routine” operation, we were assured, and we glibly proceeded with plans. One day I stopped short and realized that if someone told me my birth son, then a toddler, would … Continue reading →

Language and Learning in Adopted Children

Some parents who thought their children were doing very well with speech and language may find themselves unpleasantly surprised as their children begin second grade, when a higher level of language is required. Teachers have often noted poor academic performance among immigrant children graduating from English as a Second Language programs, even though the children appear to converse in English perfectly well. Educators and speech-language clinicians are learning that there are two kinds of language. Many refer to the first type as Communicative Language Fluency. This is the type of language we think of when we say a child can … Continue reading →

Forgetting to Remember: Part 1

Does your child forget easily? Do you have to repeat instructions or remind your child on a regular basis? Many learning disabled kids have the symptom of poor memory. Daniel, our youngest, falls in this category. The old saying, “You’d lose your head if it wasn’t screwed on”, pretty much describes his ability to remember things. We have a weekly chart to help him remember his daily chores, including tooth brushing and flossing, walking the dog, emptying the trash, etc. I strategically place post-it reminders in areas to help him remember to do whatever he needs to on a given … Continue reading →

Learning Disabled in Math

Math deficits affect about six percent of the population of school age children in our country. Struggling in math has a definite impact in our household. Our ninth grader struggles with this subject on a regular basis. He has my deepest empathy; I am no math wiz myself. Math skills and the ability to reason in this area are imperative in today’s world. Effects of failing math in school and math illiteracy in adult life can seriously handicap everyday life and most vocational prospects. Although struggling with this disability myself has hindered any stringent tutorial help on the subject, it … Continue reading →

Teaching Learning Disabled Kids To Read

Trying to teach a learning disabled child to read can be a frustrating experience. When our oldest came to us, he was a poor student. His report card read D’s and F’s across the board. He detested reading and refused to even try to enjoy anything involving the printed word. A big part of Randy’s aversion was his discomfort in doing it. He felt inferior because he had poor reading skills. He didn’t have a good foundation to build on; no one read to him as a child and he was never encouraged to read. He was never taken on … Continue reading →

Four Roadblocks to Learning

Is your child struggling with school? Does he or she seem to be drowning in work without making much progress? Sometimes the real cause of a child’s failure to thrive academically is simply the teaching methods employed at school. Here are four “roadblocks” which can interfere with a child’s ability to learn effectively. As you analyze your child’s progress, watch for these barriers: 1. World of Worksheets. Chances are, if you examine an average classroom at a random time of the day, you’ll see children sitting at desks completing worksheets. Worksheets seem to come tumbling down from the ceiling, filling … Continue reading →

Your Child Could be BOTH Gifted and Learning Disabled

Is your child bright and intelligent, yet still struggles in school? Are you often amazed at your child’s creativity and talents, but can’t figure out why certain things aren’t getting through academically? It’s not often understood that a person can be both gifted and learning disabled. We assume that a child who is gifted has no learning challenges, and a child with ADHD or a specific learning disability is “slow.” It’s hard to imagine that both conditions could exist at the same time. But they can. The classification is “Gifted and Talented/Learning Disabled” or “GT/LD.” These children require a whole … Continue reading →