What should a parent do if it seems that his/her child has a learning disability?
Sometimes children have problems in school. These problems could be related to behavior or academic issues. If you feel that your child is having trouble in school due to a learning disability, the first thing that should be done is to take a good look at what is going on at home in relation to the child’s school life. In examining your home environment, take a close look at the child’s diet, sleep habits, allotted time for homework and reading time, and extra curricular activities.
Diet is as important in the life of a child as is when the child eats. Children should stray away from eating 3 large meals per day. Instead, children should eat moderately sized meals and stray away from drinks and snacks with high sugar and high calorie content. For example, coffee, coke and other sugary drinks should not be a daily staple in a child’s diet. Be sure that your child is drinking plenty of water and having the proper amount of fruit and vegetables daily.
Children should be getting no less than 8-9 hours of sleep per night. Sleep routines should be consistent as to create a routine for the child. Healthy sleep habits and routines for falling asleep and waking promote more effective brain function throughout the day.
If your child is still having difficulties in school after you have taken an inventory on your home environment, the next step is to talk to the child’s teacher(s) about your concerns. Take a look at grades, assessment results, homework completion and behavior. Ask the teacher to refer the child to the school’s Student Assistance Team (SAT).
The team works together with parents and the teaching staff to provide support to students who are experiencing difficulties that are preventing them from benefiting from general education, because they are either performing below or above expectations. The SAT addresses problems found through general screening or those brought up as concerns by parents, teachers, or other staff. By "catching" these students as early as possible, the SAT team may not only help the student be able to remain and succeed in the general education setting, but also reduce unnecessary referrals to special education. The SAT's mission is to approach and arrive at appropriate solutions to problems in the school environment through a cooperative team effort. Although the team may make referrals to special education and other special programs, the SAT Team is not part of the special education process, but rather a general education responsibility.
In the event that the student is evaluated and is identified as having a Specific Learning Disability, there will be an MDT (Multi-disciplinary Team) meeting to explain the student’s performance on the various evaluations, discuss recommendations for the student and to allow the parent(s) and teachers to agree on the identification.
After the MDT, there is an IEP (Individual Education Program) meeting to discuss goals and objectives and to determine the hours of services the student will be receiving per week and how those services will be delivered. An IEP is held yearly in order to stay current with the student’s individual needs.
It is very important that as the parent, you know your rights as a parent of a Special Needs child. Be sure that all of the documentation and paperwork that you get from these meetings is accessible at all times in the event that they are needed by you or the school. The IEP is a document that is valid statewide and must be adhered to by any school that the child attends.
