Learning Disabilities

There are so many learning labels floating around these days ... A.D.D., A.D.H.D., Dyslexia, etc. Basically, these are labels pinned on children who are in some way learning disabled. I think most of these kids are learning advanced, but I'll try to stick to the facts ... somewhat ... ;-)

Children who cannot sit still or are disruptive in a classroom environment are sometimes suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (A.D.D.) When they are also extremely hyper, they earn the tag of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (A.D.H.D.) When children are prone to twisting their letters and numbers around, they are often called Dyslexic.

There are definitely some children who need medication to control their out-of-control emotions or actions. There are some who have a serious chemical imbalance, preventing them from blending with others in a socially acceptable manner. And there are the kids who really have a hard time keeping numbers straight or learning to read in a typical classroom setting with standard teaching methods. These children are learning disabled in that they do need resources and other methods to help them learn basic lessons and needed skills such as reading, writing, adding and subtracting.

These wonderfully different kids are also usually very bright, artistic and unusual in amazing ways. They can be willful, temperamental and sad or they can be sweet, loving and joyful. I believe they are what we, their parents and caretakers, teach them they should be. I also believe they are a big part of our future, among the children of this world who will be our brightest stars. They are the kids who do not see everything in terms of black and white or up and down. They see blue, purple and fuchsia where everyone else sees the norm. They hear melodies not yet created. They envision buildings not yet designed. They are learning disabled only because they do not learn as the majority of us do. They see life through a set of eyes and ears not limited by structure or regimentation. They feel and capture life with fingers that expound the essence of velvet and toes that glorify the silkiness of sand. They feel sadness and joy through hearts that swell with the beauty of sunsets and melt with compassion for the underdog.

These children are the different ones among us. They should be honored for their uniqueness. Unfortunately, they are more likely to be labeled and boxed into a problem corner, snuffing out their bright lights and destroying their self-esteem at a tender age.

We have known and still know quite a few of these different kids. I don't know one child who is not amazingly bright in one or more areas of life that most of us are stymied by. They are exceptional artists, musically genius, enormously big-hearted or mature beyond their years. One is on Ritalin and thanks his mother daily for giving him the chance to get straight 'A's as he always knew he could. One is an outstanding athlete who will most likely make the Olympic team in the not-too-distant future. Another is an accomplished pianist and songwriter at 12 years of age. All of these children have some pretty wicked learning disabilities and they are all just the best kids one could hope to know and love. They are awesome!

Some public schools have excellent resource programs for the learning disabled child. Most private schools do not have the room or the inclination to support a resource curriculum, however, there are private schools that cater only to learning disabled children. These schools can be frightfully expensive but many are the only hope some children will ever have for academic success. One girl we know came home from her first day at one of these high-priced schools elated and said: "I'm finally learning something!" Wow ... her mother told me this with tears in her eyes. This school has a variety of classroom environments, each supporting a different learning style. Their philosophy is that children learn differently, be it auditory, visual (the normal school methods cater to visual) or tactile. The children are grouped with other like-learning kids to create auditory, visual or tactile-learning classrooms. Obviously, they are on to something.

Parents with learning disabled children need to work with their kids, helping with homework and assignments more than average. If you are the parent of a learning disabled child, there are resources available today that were not around just a few years ago. Know that there is help for your child and for you. Ask your child's school about resource programs, recommended methods of working with your child at home and any other useful information they can and will give you. And remember that your child is probably going to grow up to become one of the more valued members of society if they are gently guided and helped through the beginning years of academic training.

Copyright ? 2000-2005 ? Rexanne Mancini

Rexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com ? http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne's Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html

---

No Invitation Needed: Sacred Children Series - 3 of 3

I had my first two children on either side of my twenty-third and twenty-fifth birthdays. I had always assumed that by the time I was forty, I'd have a ton of freedom to... Read More

Communications for Family Emergencies

You know that children can get into trouble. The older they get, the bigger the problem as history would have it. To keep your teens safer you undoubtedly have already issued the cell... Read More

Loving Your Step-Children

Loving your step-child can be both simple and hard. It is not enough for parents, step parents and extended family to feel a deep glow of love for the children in your circle... Read More

Puberty - Get Ready to Play the Puberty Game

Puberty can be a difficult time for children. Not quite kids anymore and not really adolescents they are caught in the middle in type of limbo. It is a sad time for many... Read More

Exams Cause Stress For Parents Too

When it comes to exams, or indeed any academic work, parents feel that they should be encouraging their teen to try hard and do well. The problem is that in trying to achieve... Read More

Thirteen Values You Can Teach Through Homework

Are you a parent concerned about passing values on to your kids? Do you worry that you can't find the time, or don't know how? You don't need thirty-minute multi-media presentations! You can... Read More

Trip, Trip, Trip... Here Is Your Night Visitor Again!

Night Visits From Your ChildIn the middle of the night you hear, trip, trip, trip and your bedroom door opens. It's not hard to imagine who it is and when you feel your... Read More

Understanding Why Your Child Has Been Recommended for Testing

You have just received a call from your child's teacher explaining that she has noticed your child having difficulty in school. Your child is not understanding math or reading the way the other... Read More

Sanity Savers For Busy Mums Page

Question 1 "How do I get more time to play?" Answer: Schedule it in. Why? Because if you don't schedule it you will generally let other things have a higher priority and put... Read More

Raise Awesome Kids! This 4-Point Plan Gets Results

Are your children truthful, kind, and helpful? If so, read no further. If not, please listen to Colby and his mom."All my friends cheat," announced 11-year-old Colby."What?" exclaimed his mother? "You don't cheat... Read More

Swing Sets and Outdoor Play Equipment- 5 Essential Tips Before You Buy

For first time parents choosing a swing set or outdoor play equipment can be a daunting task. There are so many different materials to choose from and prices can vary from around a... Read More

Income that PAYS Your Child Support WITHOUT Increasing Your Child Support

Child support is defined as that part of your income you would spend on your children if they lived with you. Custodial parents do not pay child support, because it is assumed that... Read More

Busy, Working Parents --- 22 Ways To Homeschool Your Kids

If you're a single parent or a married couple on a tight budget so that both parents have to work, you may worry about finding the time and energy to homeschool your children,... Read More

Personal Honor

There are moments in a parent's or grandparent's life, when they receive validation for the way they are living, or, have lived, that life. These moments are usually quiet ones, with no fanfare... Read More

They Call it Puppy Love

My son is 6 yrs old. He came home the other day from school and stated that he had two girlfriends. I asked him who they were. And he said one was in... Read More

Finding Out Your Child Has a Disability: Its Not the end of the World

Finding out that a child has been born with a disability, or that a previously healthy child has suffered an injury or disease that causes a disability can be the most traumatic moment... Read More

Bad Boys/Good Boys (Avoiding The Pitfalls Of Being An Insensitive Dad)

I WAS AMAZEDI could hardly believe what I was hearing. A father and his son had entered the men's room. While I was washing my hands, I listened as the father wielded a... Read More

Facing the Homeschool Super Mom

I know this Mom. She homeschools her 5 children, plus she tutors several other children that are dropped off at her house. AND she's a Pastor's wife. AND she's working on fixing up... Read More

Where to Look for Affordable Baby Clothes

Once the newness has worn off a little, you will realize that your baby grows very fast. So fast, in fact, that he may need new clothes on the average of every two... Read More

Birth of a Parent

So you're pregnant. Congratulations! Your life is about to change in ways you might find unthinkable (and we're not even talking about the surrender of your once slim waistline to proportions most comparable... Read More

10 Steps To Prepare You For Life With Children

It's hard to explain to the uninitiated the changes that a child will bring to your life - nothing is quite the same again. If you are an expectant father (or even mother)... Read More

Teenagers Taking Risks

It can be hard being a parent with a teen going through what I term the 'I'm Invincible' phase. This is the phase when teens start doing scary and dangerous things (according to... Read More

How Do I Get My Child to Read?

Well first off, please to don't institute the ? hour of mandatory reading that so many schools and parents are so keen on these days. You want to encourage a life-long love of... Read More

Stroller Safety Tips

Strollers offer a wonderful and convenient service to parents and caregivers. The first priority in choosing a stroller should be safety.To prevent tipping, choose a stroller that has a wide base so even... Read More

Develop Your Childs Genius: One Step Farther

When is a person brilliant? When does a person show his genius? When he goes beyond the usual, beyond the obvious. When he goes one step farther in his thinking, understanding and creativity.... Read More

Dinner Table Drama

It has been a long day. Home from work, you put together a nice, healthy dinner for the entire family to enjoy. Gathering the family around the table, you sit down to eat... Read More

Joining a Gang: How to Help Kids Prevent it, How to Tell if Theyve Joined One, How to Help Them Out

While youth gangs are nothing new -- they've been traced back to the early 19th century -- the demographic of a youth gang is something that is constantly changing. Many people stereotype gang... Read More

Partnering With Your Daycare or Preschool

For the most positive daycare experience for your child, partner with your childcare center and make a personal investment beyond the monthly tuition. You can build your partnership with your daycare by volunteering... Read More

Who Wants To Date Their Mother?

Do any other reality TV junkies remember a show on TV last year called "Who Wants To Marry Our Dad?" Well, my life is starting to sound very very similar lately. All you... Read More