Hi there
My 11 y o son was just diagnosed with “phonological processing and retrieval of information”, with the comorbid condition of ADD. He is extremely down on himself, and we are waiting for the school to get their act together in order to be able to start putting together an IEP for him. How can I help him accept the fact that he has LDs and that he just learns differently from others? He hates being different. He wants to be like everyone else in his class. He is very bright, very social, a great kid, but the stress of school is bringing him down. what can i do to help him short term?
We’ve known about the ADD for a few years, and he is on meds that we think affect his mood so we are taking steps to try to change that….
thank you
Kiki[color=orange][/color][size=18][/size]
New here, just diagnosed LD/ADD
My greatest advice is to first get the attention under control, and then get private tutoring for the reading disorder as soon as possible. Contact your state International Dyslexia Association for names of tutors or see if there is a Lindamood-Bell clinic nearby. Schools often do not do a great job on remediation, and the child is missing something when he is pulled from class. Plus the private tutoring is more tailored specifically for your child as opposed to the typical group instruction at school.
Re: New here, just diagnosed LD/ADD
[i]It is a long and difficult road and can feel absolutely overwhelming. Supporting self-esteem is very important to managing the many, many challenges.
We understand how tough it is.My daughter was diagnosed with severe LD when she was pre-schooler in 1989.Iwas told she would most likely never learn to read or write. She graduated from college in 2006 and is now a mental health therapist. We just published a book entitled [b]Surviving Learning Disabilities
Successfully[/b], by Nancy E. Graves and Danielle E. Graves. The book is a short read and a very inspirational story for parents, kids and
educators. It provides rules for managing the challenges of manuevering through the educational system when you have these challenges. www.survivinglearningdisabilities.com. Frustration is a daily fact of life for us, but staying strong and having a plan for success is how you get through.
Believing in a positive outcome is step one. Good luck!
There are several books on ADD and LD. Look in the bookstore section of this site. Some kids are helped by understanding that neither ADD nor LD makes them “stupid” but just explains why they don’t learn the same way that some other people do. It also helps to show them famous and successful adults with similar issues.
It might also be helpful for him to work with a therapist.