This is Too Hard! 5 ways to help a child with a learning disability It’s painful watching your child struggle in school, but there arethings you can do to help. Find out how to turn “This is too hard!”to “I can do this!” with these 5 tips. Remind them that even very smart kids can have a learning disability; it’snot necessary an indication of intelligence. Explain that Albert Einstein had ADHD and Thomas Edison had dyslexia andlook how brilliant they were! Enroll them in personal brain training. Most learning disabilities are due to weak cognitive skills. If weak cognitiveskills are, indeed, causing your child to struggle, that’s actuallygood news because there is something you can do about it: weak skillscan be strengthened. One-on-one brain training provides a way to strengthenthe core skills the brain uses to think and perform. And because everybrain training program is customized, even extremely smart kids can benefitfrom brain training. LearningRx brain trainers work with clients of allages about five hours a week, for 12 to 32 weeks, depending on the program.Workout sessions are customized to meet the individual objectives—andstrengthen weak skills—unique to each client. And because workoutsconsist of game-like mental exercises, clients of all ages typically enjoythe experience. Make decisions based on facts, not assumptions. Many parents mistakenly believe that learning disabilities, such as dyslexia,are a lifelong label, or that some kids are genetically destined to alwaysbe bad at math. These are myths that can keep parents from seeking out help. Don’t give up! At LearningRx, we hear time and time again about parents who put theirchild in tutoring with little to no results. That’s because tutoringis a great solution when there is an identifiable, external reason thata student did not grasp classroom content the first time it was presentedin class. Perhaps a child was sick or on vacation, or a relocation inthe middle of the school year created a gap in curriculum. It’salso possible that something (like an extended illness or pregnancy) impactedthe consistent delivery of material. The point is, when something hasinterfered with the delivery of content to your child, hiring a tutorto reteach that content makes sense. On the other hand, brain trainingdoes not reteach missed content, but instead exercises and strengthensthe basic skills the brain uses to think, learn, and perform. In otherwords, brain training improves the way the brain grasps information thefirst time it is presented. So, if your child is struggling in more thanone class, or struggling year after year, weak cognitive skills may beto blame. And if they are, brain training can strengthen those skills. Start with baby steps. You don’t need to figure everything out at once. Begin by takingone or two small actions to get the ball rolling. Talk to your child’steacher about specific issues your child displays, such as speaking outof turn, difficulty staying organized or taking longer than most studentsto complete tests. Call your local LearningRx to schedule a cognitiveskills assessment. The one-hour assessment will provide a detailed lookat your child’s individual cognitive strengths and weaknesses, andwill give you invaluable information you need in order to decide on thenext best step to help your child.