| SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series: Learning Disabilities
The Bottom Line On Learning Disabilities
( 50 articles in this series )
Social
Difficulties in Children with a
Learning Disability
All children want to have friends, someone
to play with and do things with. Friends are a very important
part of growing up and teach them how to socially interact
with others. For a child with a learning disability, this is
not very easy sometimes. Their LD can keep them from
communicating appropriately or have a hard time understanding
what other
kids want. Parents will need to explain and repeat how friends
are met and kept. This can be an ongoing conversation for a
child with a learning disability. A conversation worth repeating
so your child keeps their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Reading books together about friendship is also a good method
of reminder.
Making friends requires using social interactions and behavior
skills that children with a learning disability may have trouble
with. LD children find that making and keeping non-LD
friends can be very challenging. These children may have problems fully
expressing themselves and using verbal and nonverbal language.
They also may not be able to recognize the subtle hints that
the other child is ready to do something else. Their interpersonal
communication skills are not as finely developed as their non-learning
disabled peers. The art of making friends and keeping them
must be directly taught to many learning disabled children.
This will ensure that they have success in proper socialization
at home and in school.
Children
with learning disabilities must be taught early when they
are using inappropriate social communication. The parents
must take an active roll in correcting this behavior in a positive
way to yield the desired outcome. When children go to school
and have no idea how to socially behave appropriately it can
make them not like school because they have no friends. It
has been shown that children who have no friends are far more
likely to have behavior issues and drop out of school. Early
intervention and help with social skills from a very young
age can help prevent major future problems. Many parents find
that young children stories that discuss friendship and behavior
can help tremendously. These stories keep children engaged
and the parents can ask the child what they would do in a similar
situation. This allows for a back and forth communication between
parent and child.
Children’s
books are very easy to find and are available on all topics. Books on communication, friendship, socializing,
and how to talk to people are available at the library or any
bookstore. This provides a creative way to teach learning disabled
children about how they should properly go about these issues
with out making them feel different. This will also benefit
the child in other areas of listening skills, comprehension,
and vocabulary. Children enjoy being read to or reading to
their parents so this is a great way to teach appropriate behavior
that will have them wanting to know more. During any given
story, a parent can interact with the child to see what they
would do and discuss what the appropriate response would be.
This allows for the child to know what the right action is
with out having to directly experience the wrong behavior first
personally. Children also tend to relate to the characters
in stories and understand why they might have felt a certain
way. This gives the parents the ability to provide insight
to how to handle emotions appropriately and acknowledge how
strong they can be at times. This will help a child be more
able to take charge of its own emotions and actions.
Another
helpful method for teaching social skills to teaching disabled
children is through direct instruction. Role model
playing is a great way to teach a child how to approach someone
his or her age and how to appropriately engage with him or
her. Teach them how to identify someone they would like to
play with and teach them how to approach them appropriately.
Explain that when you want to play or talk with someone you
should approach the other child with a smile and ask him or
her his or her name. Show them how to introduce themselves
to others. Teach children to ask questions that give the other
child a chance to talk. Asking what the other child likes and
is doing, rather than what you like is important in making
friends. Express the importance of listening and doing things
that others like is just as important as their own interests.
With some diligent direction and instruction a learning disabled
child can make and keep meaningful friendships as well as anyone
else. This will be a benefit for a lifetime.
# # # # #
by SolveYourProblem.com
: 2006
> Home > Learning
Disability
Articles : Main Page
|
