Whether you’re a parent who’s raising a child with learning disabilities or you’re a teacher who’s working with a child with the same disability, it can certainly be a difficult task at times. Especially as a parent, it can be hard to take a step back and let your child be independent when you have the capability to help them through life.
That being said, when it comes to childhood development, allowing a child to be independent in their learning is going to help them flourish.
Fortunately, there are many organizations, such as CDS Monarch, whose goal is to provide opportunities for development to individuals with disabilities. But these organizations are often geared toward young adults and older. While those programs are certainly beneficial, children must develop independence while they’re still young.
That being said, here are some tips to help encourage independence in children with learning disabilities:
Offer Choices
One simple yet effective way to begin building a child’s independence is to allow them to make their own choices in their lives. Doing so will give them control of their life.
These choices can be given in simple situations such as what outfit they’ll wear for the day or what snack they’re going to have before lunch. Not only does this give them some control in their life, but it also allows them to acknowledge what their likes and dislikes are.
Provide Challenges
It can be tempting, especially with your own child, to make that child’s life as easy as possible, which is always a great idea. However, in the long run, it’ll hinder a child’s development more than it helps them in life.
Providing challenges, such as tying shoes, cleaning up their own mess, doing school work on their own, will teach them that if they start a task on their own, and persistently work at it, they’ll succeed without the aid of a parent, teacher, or other adult figures.
Allow Them to Provide For Themselves
Sometimes, this can be a frustrating piece of advice to act on because it may add extra time to what should be quick tasks, which can be difficult when all you want to do is help a struggling child. That being said, if a child is able to brush their own hair, clear their plate, or get dressed without any help, it’s important to allow them to do those tasks on their own.
Allowing them to take on difficult tasks by themselves is a way to let them practice their skills and improve on those that they may be close to mastering, but haven’t quite done so yet.
Work With Therapists and Teachers
As a child goes through their schooling, their teachers, therapists, and parents should communicate and work together as a whole.
Children with learning disabilities may find it beneficial to have a therapist who can provide support not only to the child but to their parents and teachers as well. This collaboration between adults can help provide consistency in a child’s life, as well as an open line of communication that allows problems to be addressed and solutions to be suggested as they arise.
Set Goals
As is true with adults, children need to have goals as well. Aiding a child with learning disabilities to set goals for themselves, which they’re expected to work for, may provide information on what your child is interested in and what they want to achieve in their own lives. This, of course, relates back to giving them choices and allowing them to take control of their lives.
Setting goals can be done even if a child is non-verbal because they can use body language or other responses to show what they want. In some cases, assistive devices, like a communication device or other form of technology, can be used as an aid for a child who has difficultly with speech since they can be used to help express wants and desires.
These goals will ultimately serve as a motivation or incentive for children to work toward something they actually want for themselves and begin to unleash their full potential.
What Is Intellectual Disability
Intellectual disability is a term that’s used to describe a person who has a limited ability to learn at a level that’s expected or has difficulty functioning in everyday life. Children with learning disabilities can have a difficult time expressing their wants and needs, have trouble taking care of themselves, or develop slower than other children.
This condition can start as early as before birth and as late as 18 years of age. Some signs of intellectual disability include:
- Sitting up, crawling, or walking later than others.
- Trouble speaking/delay in learning to speak.
- Difficulty with memory.
- Difficulty understanding social rules.
- Having difficulty in solving simple problems, such as tying one’s shoe.
When parenting becomes hard to handle, there are plenty of online outlets where moms can go to seek help and guidance from other moms. No mother should be alone in their journey and no mother should be afraid to reach out to other mothers for help.
Conclusion
Encouraging independence among children who face learning disabilities can be difficult and sometimes frustrating, but it’s far from impossible. Surrounding yourself with support, discovering different techniques, and allowing your child to thrive is possible when you have the right tools and information.
