Dear Crystal,
I am at my wits end, I’m so frustrated I don’t know where to turn. My son is 8 years old and there have been several incidents where I was either called, or received messages from his teacher about his behavior in school, this was before COVID, the teacher would tell me, my son seems anxious, he’s not paying attention, the teacher told me he distracted other students in class, often times his temper and frustration got the best of him and he would walk out of the class.
I thought it was just typical bad behavior or maybe he wasn’t being engaged enough. During the closure of schools because of the pandemic, when helping him with his school work or virtual learning, I came to realize that this could possibly be learning disability or something more.
On multiple occasions, I could tell he was trying but had a difficult time retaining what was being taught to the point of tears. Crystal I am worried, I am afraid they would ask me to remove my son from school, I don’t want him to be labeled, or made fun of by his friends.
I have been doing my own research, would he need to go to school for children with special needs? If that’s the case, what’s going to become of him, would he get a job or go to college? Please help me, I need some guidance. Is it ADD, ADHD, autism or another learning disability?
Frustrated,
Dear Frustrated,
I empathize with you, suspecting that your child may have a learning disability can be quite daunting for any parent. The first thing you can do is take note: NOTICE , OBSERVE, TALK and ENGAGE. You must remember that children develop at different rates. With that being said, based on the information you presented, it is quite possible that he may have a learning disability. Although there is no cure for learning disabilities, there are many ways to help children, even adults and their families cope. The next best step for you to do will be to contact your pediatrician. Although you have been contacted by the teacher on several occasions, usually, under different circumstances, when this type of behavior is displayed in school, the teacher and or support staff (School counselor, School Social Worker) may notice and intervene. Perhaps you can connect with them to see if there is any additional information for you to take to your pediatrician. During the pediatric visit, instead of asking questions, just describe your observations on what seems different to you in his actions. Once this is done, the pediatrician should be able to decipher what your next step should be which may be an evaluation. Children who learn and think differently can thrive with the right support. I am sure there are schools that may be able to help focus on your child’s strengths, and develop their social and emotional skills. To answer your question, it is possible for your child to advance and go to college, learning differently isn’t tied to how smart you are. Many people with learning difficulties are very bright and grow up to be highly successful at what they do.
Best wishes,
Crystal Clear
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