7 Common Mistakes Parents Make when their Child has Difficulty with School Part 6

When smart kids struggle in school, it’s confusing and frustrating for all involved. In my experience both as a parent and working with thousands of parents, we suffer along with our kids and we will do anything to help them be happy and successful.

But since kids don’t come with instruction manuals, we have to figure it out as we go. Making mistakes is unquestionably part of the process of figuring things out.

We’ve been looking at some mistakes that many parents make when trying to deal with their children’s learning challenges. Here’s Mistake #6…

Mistake #6 – Misread The Signs

“My child doesn’t have learning disabilities or anything serious like that. She just has trouble spelling.”

“My son can do the work. He just doesn’t want to.”

This is a very common mistake.

Signs Parents May Misread or Ignore

Here are some signs that parents may misread or ignore, thinking that more effort, motivation, or time will take care of the issue:

• Trouble reading
• Trouble spelling
• Taking too long on class assignments or homework
• Difficulty making / keeping friends
• Clumsy
• Disorganized
• Difficulty getting thoughts down on paper
• Trouble copying from the board
• Doesn’t follow directions
• Confusion with right and left
• Often say, “Huh?” or “What”
• “Lazy”
• “Hate” school or battle during homework

What Do These Signs Mean?

These may not look like signs of a learning problem, but they do indicate “holes” or weaknesses in the underlying learning/processing skills that support learning.

Academic and social success depends upon a solid foundation of cognitive learning/processing skills. If you think about these skills like a ladder or a continuum, academics and school subjects are at the very top. Many other skills must be in place in order to learn easily at the top of the ladder. When the underlying skills, or skills lower on the continuum are weak, they may keep children and adults from learning and functioning as well and as independently as they should. Research tells us that 30% of the population has some degree of difficulty with some of these skills.

Can It Change?

The good news is that these underlying skills can be developed. Brain research on neuroplasticity has proven that through targeted and intensive training, the brain can literally change and grow. New and permanent neuropathways or connections can be made that will allow individuals to learn new skills and process information more effectively.

Our experience and that of our colleagues in this field over the past 30 years have proven that most learning and attention challenges can be dramatically improved or completely corrected.

Have you noticed signs in yourself, your child, or teen that may indicate real struggles with learning? Are you ready to learn more and find out about how to make a real and permanent impact on your or your child’s learning?

Quick Answers

What signs of a learning problem do parents often miss?

Signs include trouble reading or spelling, taking too long on homework, difficulty making or keeping friends, being clumsy or disorganized, trouble copying from the board, and confusion with right and left.

What do these signs mean?

These may not look like signs of a learning problem, but they do indicate “holes” or weaknesses in the underlying learning/processing skills that support learning.

Can these underlying skills change?

Yes. The good news is that these underlying skills can be developed, and most learning and attention challenges can be dramatically improved or completely corrected.