What to Do Next After a Learning Disability Diagnosis
Receiving a learning disability diagnosis for your child can be disheartening. With these struggles now “officially” pinned to your child (sometimes for life), you may begin to wonder what power you have. When so much feels out of your control, there are things you can do as parents, guardians, or educators to support kids after a diagnosis and help them reach their fullest potential.
Step #1: Breathe.
Many individuals continue to thrive after a learning disability diagnosis. This can open up doors to get your child some extra support. Every step towards understanding what’s going on in your child’s brain is helpful, and this is no exception.
Step #2: Know What to Look for in Interventions.
You may be surprised at the variety of interventions available for kids with learning disabilities. How do you know which route to take?
In this episode of the Brainy Moms podcast, cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore breaks down some helpful questions to ask when you’re evaluating interventions for your child. Some of her recommendations include:
- Looking for interventions that address the root cause of struggles, rather than just accommodations
- Knowing key words to look at in an intervention’s research (like making sure it’s on THAT intervention, not just principles, as well as terms like “significant”)
- Asking for research results in terms you can understand so you don’t get caught up in medical or research jargon
Click here to download LearningRx’s Client Outcomes and Research Report >>
Step #3: Become the Expert in YOUR Child and Their Needs.
Just because your child receives a learning disability diagnosis doesn’t mean you automatically know their struggles and strengths. Every brain is different, and every approach to supporting learners needs to be unique. An individualized approach to helping learners who struggle is critical so you don’t miss any signals that could fly under the radar.
One tool that is helpful for many families regardless of whether or not they have a learning disability diagnosis is a cognitive skills assessment. This is a test of your child’s abilities to think, learn, focus, remember, and problem-solve. It’s not diagnostic, but it does provide invaluable insight into the underlying skills that are behind your child’s strengths and struggles with learning.
Step #4: Dig Deeper if You’re Not Satisfied.
We often hear from families that they receive a learning disability diagnosis, services begin from schools for their child, but they’re still not satisfied. Something still isn’t clicking. The supports don’t seem to be helping.
As parents, it’s in your power to dig deeper and advocate for your child. A big part of this is finding out the WHY for their struggles, rather than just settling for a label. At LearningRx, we are happy to partner with families to navigate this journey of finding out how kids learn, where their roadblocks are, and how we can help them overcome as a team!
A Learning Disability Diagnosis Doesn’t Mean Things Have to Stay the Way They Are
We’ve worked with thousands of kids with learning disabilities, and the good news is that a label doesn’t define a child. Past clients have seen significant growth in all cognitive skills as a result of training, resulting in improved confidence and academic performance for their struggling learners. While every brain is unique and outcomes may vary, we’d love the opportunity to share more with you and support your family on this journey to helping your child succeed! Click here to learn more about our brain training programs for learning challenges.
