If there is one piece of advice I could offer parents who maybe questioning whether their child is having reading difficulties, it would be this – trust your instincts!
You know your child better than anyone else. You’re pretty good at sensing when something is not quite right.
When it comes to learning difficulties, there are many ways these little red flags can show up in your child’s life.
Firstly there are the obvious ones – the difficulties you may see your child having during homework like remembering letters and sounds, practicing sight words or frustration when asked to read their Reader out loud.
However, sometimes, those red flags are not always as obvious as you might think especially when you’re right in the thick of it!
Every child is different and show stress and anxiety in different ways. This was certainly the case in our family with both children experiencing learning difficulties – one outwardly explosive and the other no less emotional but more inwardly focussed.
In the early primary school years, it was difficult to pinpoint the behaviour and we certainly didn’t make the connection between learning difficulties and behavioural problems for quite some time. What made it even more confusing was that the behavioural problems only happened at home and not at school.
It was different again for our other child. The mysterious tummy aches that appeared just before school in the mornings and the clingy, teary behaviour associated with not wanting to go to school.
I must admit there were times where I found myself questioning where the line of normal childhood behaviour ended and that feeling of ‘should I be concerned’ began. And then there were the times when I dismissed the smaller less obvious signs, thinking perhaps I may be overthinking things. Deep down, I think I knew, before the official diagnoses were made.
In many instances children with learning difficulties are unable to tell their parents what’s wrong. They may not have the vocabulary to explain how they are feeling or simply don’t know what’s making them feel the way they do. Poor behaviour may be a stress response to the difficulties they are facing at school.
If you suspect your child may have learning difficulties its worth organising a time to speak with your child’s teacher to discuss your concerns.
The Reading Switch offers a learn to read program for children with learning difficulties such as dyslexia. Visit our website to learn more about our reading program www.thereadingswitch.com
