Is my child making good friends at school and being included in activities? Are they happy at school, or are they being bullied? These are just a few concerns that parents may ask themselves, and these concerns become increasingly problematic if your child has a disability. Going about solving these problems can quickly become overwhelming, but we offer some initial steps here and local resources later on to help you get started addressing these concerns. If you are concerned about your child’s behavioral development specifically, we encourage you to check out our page titled “Behavioral Challenges“.
Prior to making any actionable steps, you need to fully understand the nature and scope of your concerns about your child’s social and emotional development. We recommend learning more about Learning Disabilities by going through the Learning Disabilities Association of America website, and also exploring the page about Social Skills and Learning Disabilities. Keep in mind that not all of these challenges may be applicable to your child. However, we believe it is important to be aware of and prepared for any challenges. Ultimately, knowing some of these challenges or even brainstorming some of your own can help you become more attuned to what your child may need.
Even though each student with a disability is unique, parents of students with disabilities are not alone in the types of challenges they face. Consider this article from Understood.org, a collaboration between 15 non-profit organizations to support parents of children with learning and attention issues. Here you will find five additional worries, and five ways you can address them. Afterwards, we encourage you to explore the site, learn about their recommendations, and utilize their experts if you have additional questions.
Finally, we want to point you to resources in the community that can help advocate for you and help you better advocate for your child:
Additional Resources:
- “Social and Emotional Skills: What to Expect at Different Ages” — Understood.org
- “Social & Emotional Development Course” — Virtual Lab School (for school staff but helpful for parents as well)
- “Social and Emotional Development in School Age Children” — About Kids Health (for parenting tips)
Links:
Learning Disabilities of Association of America- https://ldaamerica.org/support/new-to-ld/?audience=Parents
Social Skills- https://ldaamerica.org/info/social-skills-and-learning-disabilities/
Understood.org- https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-to-manage-worries-about-kids-who-learn-and-think-differently
