Becoming a parent is an amazing thing. It is one of the greatest blessings that we can have. We all hope that we have a healthy child but sometimes due to genetics, birth defects, environment, and other circumstances a child can be slow in grasping concepts that aid them in learning certain tasks. This is known as a learning disability.
There are many types of learning disabilities, and while some become apparent at a very young age, some do not become apparent until the child reaches school age or even older. Learning disabilities are defined as learning disabilities that affect a person’s ability to process written or oral information. This type of disability is hard to diagnose in English speaking homes and even harder in homes where English is not the first language.
At one time, people with learning disabilities were shunned and left untreated. They were often ridiculed and humiliated. People were afraid to accept them for who they are/were. Those that were learning disabled were often ostracized by society. These people foraged throughout life with, for the most part, with love, compassion, and care from their immediate family. Sometimes they were institutionalized and forgotten about because of how society deemed that this was the best way to treat them.. Thankfully, society has changed their outlook on those that are learning disabled.
The reason for the change in society’s way of thinking was due to the advancement in scientific technology and diagnosis equipment. Imagining equipment can now pinpoint visual problems that can lead to problems with school work or any skills that need almost perfect vision to learn. Fine motor skills can be delayed if there is a vision problem. However, vision problems are unrelated to dyslexia or other learning disabilities.
Nowadays there is plenty of support for parents, caregivers, and of course, the children who are learning disabled. If you suspect your child has learning disabilities, it is important that you have the tested as early as possible. Early intervention often includes a collaboration of several team members. These team members may include teachers, therapists, audiologists, and more. Only with this intervention can the learning disability be addressed and support measures such as educational intervention and medical treatments be introduced to aid them in learning life skills.
If you suspect your child has learning disabilities, seek advice from your family doctor and other professionals as soon as possible.
Thanks so much for this article, Jen. I have very good friends whose son had a Non-Verbal Learning Disability. It was really hard for all of them before they understood. They heard the same thing at every parent-teacher conference: “He’s bright, just lacks motivation and focus and doesn’t seem to care about assignments.”
High school was terrible and they all thought that he was lazy or just didn’t care (he thought so too and felt a great amount of guilt about it) before the diagnosis. It was a relief to understand but made for a lot of upset, anxiety and strife for years. If something like that seems off or doesn’t mesh with a child’s intelligence level or personality- seek out a specialist.
Thanks again.