Learning the complexities of reading and writing and figuring out nuts and bolts of math is a struggle for lots of kids. And while every child is unique in how they develop academically, if your child is exceedingly and persistently frustrated, they may have an SLD. As parents, the battle against the negative stereotypes that are placed on our kids often feels never-ending, but here’s what to know: dyscalculia does not occur as a result of laziness or a child “not trying hard enough,” and kids with dysgraphia don’t just have “bad handwriting” — they occur because of physical differences in their brain.
“One of the things that I say to these kids when I’m advocating for them is that school does not define you, and school tests do not define your intelligence. There are always going to be people that can do things better than you and things that you can do better than other kids. But we’ve got to look at what our strengths are and focus on those… We want them to know that, hey, with a little bit of extra support, you can do this.” — Cherie Dorreen, education advocate
As parents, we know the heartbreak of seeing our kids struggling with feeling “not smart enough,” and not knowing how to do what to do, where to go, or how to begin to help. Most kids with an SLD probably couldn’t imagine a worse way to spend their time after school than doing a timed multiplication table or taking notes. But SLDs affect kids outside of school, too, so having support and resources as parents can give us the bandwidth to support our kids in and out of the classroom, whether academically, functionally, or emotionally.
This week, we’re diving into specific learning disabilities, including details of diagnosis, the different intervention approaches, and how to approach dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia if your child has other co-occurring diagnoses.
- Did you know that 38% of all children with an IEP have a learning disability? Get the lowdown in our article Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) 101.
- Wondering how to support your child with dysgraphia at home? Try handwriting programs that use games and visuals to make learning more fun (education advocate Cherie Dorreen suggests Handwriting Without Tears). Find more practical tips in our article Dysgraphia 101.
- “It’s critical for parents of children with dyscalculia to paint math and numbers in a positive light,” Dr. Anneke Schreuder tells us. Sound impossible? Find out how in our article…. Dyscalculia 101.
- For kids with dyslexia, access to successful interventions and technology such as audiobooks, podcasts, text-to-speech and read-aloud apps can make a big difference. Find some common accommodations in IEPs or 504 plans for kids with dyslexia, as well parent tips to use at home, in our article Dyslexia 101.
Quick survey: Who is your employer?
Undivided is reaching out to employers about offering Undivided services as a benefit to working parents of kids with disabilities. Would you fill out this 2-minute survey to tell us about your employer? Rest assured, we’ll keep all your personal details confidential.
Thank you to superstar parent Jamie for this month’s Provider Spotlight nomination!
Jamie tells us this about Sarah Larson, a special education teacher in Burbank, CA: “Mrs. Larson is so beloved by her students that several call her their BFF. All week, the kids earn ‘money’ for successes in class — from paying attention to helping each other to completing assignments. Every Friday, Mrs. Larson sets up a faire in her classroom where the kids use the money they’ve earned to buy treasures for themselves. They get to practice counting, spending, making choices, and of course, making change! Most likely, a whole generation of her students will become flea market aficionados who drive hard bargains. Mrs. Larson sees the potential in every child and makes them feel nurtured. We were fortunate to have had her for two years and also for ESY.”
We love teachers who push, support, and GET our kids! Thanks to Jamie for nominating one of the best. And a HUGE thank you to Mrs. Larson for igniting a passion for learning in all of her students and for making math fun!
Preparing for the One-Month IEP Check-In
Our Facebook Live event with education advocate Dr. Sarah Pelangka is coming up on September 14! Despite our best-laid plans, there are often challenges at the beginning of the school year with implementing the IEP as written (and we know how hard you worked to get that IEP “right!”).
Join us to hear tips for working with your IEP team early in the school year to make sure your child has all the accommodations and services they need while adjusting to their new class or school, including new needs that may have surfaced since you signed the IEP. (A full replay and recap of the highlights will be sent to RSVPs if you can’t make it live!) Sign up for the event here.
Undivided Conversations: Autism in Girls
Our next installment of Undivided Conversations with Dr. Abha R. Gupta, MD, PhD, developmental-behavioral pediatrician and associate professor in the Departments of Pediatrics, Child Study Center, and Neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine and Dr. Lauren Stutman, PsyD, licensed psychologist and founder of CARE-LA, all about autism in girls will now debut Friday, September 8, at 11:00 a.m. PDT on our Facebook Page. They’re also featured in our Autism in Girls article!
How do you read and understand assessments of your child’s learning disability — and what do you do if you disagree with the assessment results? Watch on YouTube→- Have you ever worked with an educational therapist to support your child’s learning disability? We’d love to hear about your experience in our parents-only group on Facebook→
- Micro-tasking can help kids with learning disabilities tackle schoolwork. Check it out on Instagram→
- Find past Undivided newsletters on our LinkedIn page! Connect with Undivided→
- Stay connected to 1:1 help and expert answers from Undivided with unlimited messaging with your dedicated Navigator. Start here→
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This newsletter was originally sent to our subscribers on 9/7/23. Subscribe to our newsletter to get more resources like this in your inbox, or check out our full library of articles, templates, and videos at undivided.io/resources.
