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Under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Mathilde
Learning Difficulties: What can you do?How parents can helpIf children with specific learning difficulties are properly assessed and taught in a sympathetic environment, they are likely to escape the demoralising process of continual failure and contending with a school system that fails either to understand or address their true learning needs. But as things are, parents often find themselves waiting anxiously to be told whether or not their child has made the grade in school or should be moved. Some parents panic and make hasty, unwise decisions. Others turn a blind eye or hope things will ‘work out’. You know your child better than anyone else. If you think there is something wrong, there probably is. If you suspect an educational problem, don’t ignore it. Arrange a professional assessment for your child. If there is nothing wrong, you and your child will feel reassured. If difficulties are diagnosed, you will have the relief of knowing where you stand. But not all educational psychologists will necessarily reach the same conclusions, so if you still feel there is a problem even if none has been found, be persistent. Try a different psychologist. It is all too easy to slip into a negative spiral by focusing on the child’s learning difficulties and losing sight of his or her strengths and abilities. But this is to lose sight of the solutions. It is imperative that the child’s capabilities are encouraged and developed: they are the basis for developing coping skills that will eventually lead to a proper level of independence; they are the starting points for rebuilding self-confidence. But what about the parents ? However disappointed or frustrated they may feel at first, on discovering that their child has a learning difficulty, once the initial emotional reactions are over, there is no substitute for following a plan of action. This provides the framework for a systematic and balanced look at the child, the school and a proper evaluation of the choices on offer. Parents regain control and are back in a position to make informed, carefully considered decisions. If there is a choice, it is well worth living within easy reach of the school. Drawing a circle on the map and looking for a home within the radius can help. Finding out about the length of the journey by school bus, the most direct routes and the possibility of sharing the school journey with another family are also worth investigating. For parents hoping to arrange extra tuition outside school, it is even more important to calculate the travel time involved, so that schedules are not too tiring and leave time for the child to unwind and relax. Whatever the learning difficulties, expatriate parents tend to find themselves piecing together a jigsaw of impressions, theories, hearsay, statistics and recommendations, while trying to find the best environment for their child’s particular abilities, learning difficulties and temperament. The choices families make are obviously conditioned by personal circumstances and practical considerations, such as how long they plan to live abroad, and finances. Families who have not yet moved abroad would be well-advised to consider carefully in advance, in consultation with professionals, friends who have been in similar circumstances, and other members of the family, whether it is better to :
Families already living abroad may want to think about:
It is well worth trying to share ideas with others at a local support group where a lot of useful information is exchanged informally, besides seeking professional advice. Whatever the variants, for the English-speaking expatriate family, two hard facts remain:
Some children adjust to the new environment quickly and without apparent problems. Others find it difficult, showing such symptoms as loss of self-confidence, depression and even despair. For the child with specific learning difficulties, removed from the security of a home base, these symptoms can be magnified. Behavioural problems sometimes emerge and school and family life can suffer as a result. Winning a child over to adapting to, and eventually enjoying, a new setting may not be easy for parents, especially if they too are experiencing some form of culture shock. There are numerous articles and books on the subject of culture shock and mobility. See the website of the British Dyslexia Association: http://www.bda-dyslexia.org.uk for information about how parents can help (Section D.03). Some of their titles include:The Role of the Educational Psychologist in Assessment and Diagnosis; Survival Kit: Preventing Parental Burn-out. L. Peer; A Young Person's Guide to Dyslexia. L.Peer; Take Time. M. Nash-Wortham and J. Hunt Also see the website of the organisation Schwab Learning, http://www.SchwabLearning.org Parents can send away for free resource books to help dyslexic children with homework, as well as finding many general suggestions for supporting them. For further suggestions on how parents can help, see ECIC’s multimedia pack, “Language shock – Dyslexia Across Cultures” , available via this website Disability links: Other useful links: Nederlandstalig: See the information pack "Eerst Hulp bij Leerstoornissen" produced by Die-'s-Lekti-Kus vzw. This contains much valuable information for teachers, parents and children. For further information, please contactvzw Die-'s-Lekti-Kus, Diestsesteenweg 722, 3010 Kessel-Lo e-mail info@dieslektikus.be website http://www.dieslektikus.be Ten Tips for parents
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