Learning Disabilities – What are they? What can be done?

If your child has been diagnosed with Learning Disabilities, he or she is weak in one or more “thinking” abilities that are critical for learning, or at least learning in a classroom environment.

“If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” – Ignacio Estrada

The above quote sounds good, but our present educational system is a long way away from being able to meet that goal for every child, and especially a child with learning disabilities.

Because you can’t change the world today for your child, here’s another idea to consider:

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” – Albert Einstein

Therefore, why not do everything possible to train your child’s mind to think better so that he can learn better, regardless of the way he is being taught?

Learning Disabilities are caused by weaknesses in very specific thinking skills–skills that can be trained!

  • Memory – If you can’t remember, you can’t learn – you are learning disabled
  • Attention – If you can’t stay tuned in, you can’t learn – you are learning disabled
  • Understanding – If you don’t understand, you can’t learn – you are learning disabled
  • Auditory Processing – If you don’t process language fast enough, you can’t understand what is being said, and you can’t learn – you are learning disabled
  • Reading – If you can’t read fluently (effortlessly), yBrain MAPSou can’t comprehend, and you can’t learn – you are learning disabled
  • Logic and Reasoning – If you can’t think it through, you can’t learn – you are learning disabled
  • Persistence – If you can’t stay on-task long enough, you can’t learn – you are learning disabled

There are more, many more, but hopefully you get the idea.

If your child is weak in just one of the above-mentioned skills, learning will be difficult if not impossible, and may receive a diagnosis of Learning Disabilities. Read: Learning Disabilities – A Misunderstood Term.

An IEP is NOT the Answer

If the school does a Psycho-Educational assessment, it is for the purpose of designing an Individualized Education Plan IEP.  An IEP does not help your child’s learning disabilities.  It is a way for the teacher and student to cope. It should be used temporarily, during the first weeks or months until you find a program to strengthen your child’s thinking skills.

The brain is a use-it-or-lose-it organ.  If, because of the learning disability, the child copes with poor memory or whatever, he or she is not working that thinking ability and it will actually get weaker, and weaker, and weaker.

Further Coping

There are a number of learning disabilities associations but they deal with teaching parents about coping strategies and possibly offering programs to help the child cope.  There is a time and place for that but they aren’t correcting the learning disability.

Brain Training Turns Learning Disabilities into Learning Abilities

Learning Disabilities – Weak Skills Can Be Trained!

The programs we offer are brain training programs.  They strengthen thinking skills!  Your child will think better and be able to succeed in school and in life.

You might be surprised how quickly this can happen.  Interactive Metronome can develop attention skills in just 15 sessions.  With Fast ForWord, dyslexia can be significantly improved in 12 weeks and your child reading at grade level within a few more months.  PACE can improve IQ by 20 points in just 3 months.  Really!

Read more about our programs and how they strengthen thinking abilities.

Assessment and Parent Consultation, $250

Our assessment gives a clear picture of what underlying skills are weak and therefore causing the problems. Just as valuable, we are able to evaluate how your child performs on a more personal level. This includes things like, does she give up easily, get frustrated, or seek ways to avoid the task. Even though the assessment is low-cost it is very effective and clear for parents and teachers to understand.  Read more about it.

The Parent Consultation will give you a very clear understanding of your child’s difficulties and what is needed to overcome them.

Phone 604.539.1386 for more information or to book the assessment. We have offices in Langley and Abbotsford, BC.  Many of our programs can also be done distance, across Canada and the USA.