Learn how to help people with disabilities
 

Welcome to our Helping People with Disabilities Archive. Have fun browsing!

 

Article #6: The importance of moral support for disabled teens

(Browse for more articles)
 
Adolescence can be a trying time for you support she receives. In many schools,
and your teenager, especially if she has the special education classroom is
learning problems. At an age when kids routinely called a resource room, and the
are often least willing to talk with special education teacher is called a
their parents, it's probably most resource teacher. It may help break down
important to keep the lines of the stigma of the "special education"
communication open and operating. label that some kids experience if you
Conversing with your teenager about her use the term interchangeably with
learning difficulties can be particularly "resource room" or "resource teacher".
challenging and valuable. Likewise, a 504 plan may legitimately be
In her drive to forge a distinct called a "support plan". If you don't use
identity, your teenager may spend a lot the correct terms and your child hears
of time asserting her independence in the them from other sources, you may
face of adult authority, staunchly unintentionally increase the stigma and
defending her peer group, and challenging shame she attaches to the labels.
your opinions and values. Teens are also Middle School Students Parents of sixth-
faced with greatly increased school through eighth-grade kids often feel the
demands. All of this can make it tricky need for a well-stocked "bag of tricks"
to talk with her about her learning to overcome the sometimes defensive
problems. attitude of adolescents. By this age,
Open, straightforward, and persistent kids should be participating actively
communication with your adolescent about with their parents and teachers in
her learning struggles helps her build personal goal-setting discussions, such
skills of self-awareness and as thinking about things they excel in or
self-advocacy that will serve her through careers they might enjoy. Students this
middle school and high school, and into age often participate in a portion of the
adulthood. This article presents some parent-teacher conference. Provide your
practical approaches for keeping your child honest feedback about her
child engaged in a conversation with you performance in school and together try to
and other adults about her learning identify natural affinities that she
struggles, so that she can rise to the could later cultivate into powerful
challenge of doing her best at school. assets.
Listen for Signs of Frustration With the Many teenagers express a sense of relief
increased academic demands of middle and can cope better when parents and
school and high school, your teen may teachers offer them accurate information
experience new or more severe problems about their learning problems and
with learning or social demands. realistic, step-by-step strategies for
If you notice a change in attitude when addressing them.
your teenager talks about school, pay By seventh or eighth grade, kids should
attention to the signs. You know her be introduced to the concept
better than anyone else, so be sensitive "self-advocate" or the role of "manager"
to any clues she may be giving you. of their own educational needs. Teach
Adolescents who are struggling may your child to speak up for herself, as
describe school as "stupid" or "boring", this practice will be essential as she
or refer to themselves as "retarded". gets older. Rehearse how to talk to
There are also some nonverbal behaviors teachers and others about her specific
that may be an expression of frustration learning needs. She'll want to use this
with school. Adolescents may tear up skill as she gets older and will need to
their homework, refuse to talk about use it in high school, post-secondary
their day, or overreact to questions education or training, and employment.
about school with outbursts of anger. Or, Kids in middle school want desperately to
they may seem unusually quiet or conform in order to fit in with their
withdrawn. How should you respond? Ask peers. For this reason, your middle
yourself if your child has been acting school-age child may strongly prefer to
this way for several weeks. Are there be enrolled exclusively in general
other possible causes of her behavior, education classes. Even though she's
such as family upheaval or a move to a probably more similar to other kids than
new school? If not, it may be time to she is different from them, her learning
talk with her to get an update about struggles may cause her to feel not only
current problems with school work. different, but inferior. So, rather than
Gather Some Facts Gather information emphasizing her problems and needs for
about the nature of your child's learning special help, keep her focused on
struggles from as many sources as specific learning goals, the steps you've
possible. These may include current books outlined to reach them, her progress to
and articles, as well as detailed date, and the support you and her
information on learning strengths and teachers can provide her.
weaknesses from each of her teachers, Middle school kids want some degree of
across all subject areas. influence and control over many aspects
Press for details so that you understand of school. Your seventh grader may set a
very concretely how her problems are goal to participate in all general
affecting academic performance, education classes by high school, that
especially in reading, writing, speaking, is, to discontinue special education
and math. A few examples of weaknesses classes or tutoring. You and her teachers
that a parent or teacher might easily should help her evaluate this proposal
overlook are: It's a good idea to get realistically. If you support the idea,
some support from other sympathetic let her know what the steps are and how
adults‚ friends and family, a support you'll work with her to reach her goal.
group of parents of kids with learning You may also need to model an adaptable
problems, or a counselor so that you can and flexible outlook for your child, to
bring a positive outlook to the task of think out loud with her about adjusting
supporting your child.process. her goals to better suit her
In the upper grades the organizational capabilities. In this and other ways, you
demands of keeping track of homework and continue to offer a safety net of support
class work across multiple subject areas that she can rely on as necessary.
is demanding for even the most capable High School Students High school-age kids
student. Disorganization may be often ignore or even deny the fact they
"invisible" until it causes serious have learning difficulties. This stage of
problems with getting work completed and rebelliousness can be the perfect
to the teacher on time; A student in opportunity for your child to build her
middle school may be perceived as having self-advocacy skills and assert greater
adequate reading skills and good control over her life. Possessing
vocabulary, but actually possess poor knowledge about oneself and the skills to
comprehension and memory skills; A high express that knowledge to others is a
school student may have strong oral real asset. Help her understand that she
language skills, but continued weaknesses can influence how others treat her when
in written language. she presents her educational strengths
As you gather information about your and needs in a respectful and
child's learning problems, identify her knowledgeable manner. She should also be
areas of strength, too. These strengths aware that, if she has an IEP or specific
will likely be the compensatory tools accommodations for learning, federal
that help her overcome or bypass areas of disability law is also on her side and
weakness. will be throughout her life.
Sort Through Your Feelings By middle Most teachers are open to accommodating
school, if your child has experienced the various learning needs of their
years of academic struggles, she may have students if they only know what will
become very discouraged about school and help. For example, if her teacher assigns
have low self-esteem. 40 pages of reading along with 20
When these feelings result in her losing comprehension questions to be turned in
motivation, becoming depressed, or acting the next day, your teenager has a couple
out, it can be a challenge for you to of choices. She can become overwhelmed or
remain hopeful and optimistic about her angry, or simply ignore the homework
achievement at school. assignment and receive a failing grade.
When you watch your child struggle in Or she can (take three deep breaths and)
school, it can bring back painful think of how best to explain her learning
memories of your own negative school difficulty to her teacher, then ask for
experiences. Or, if you were a confident, either a reduction in the amount of
successful student, it may be hard to homework, or extended time to complete
empathize with your child's learning the assignment. She should talk with her
challenges. You may also feel angry teacher either before or after class so
toward the school or individual teachers. that the teacher can focus on what she's
Whatever difficult feelings you may saying. With practice, such self-advocacy
experience, it's a good idea to get some skills will become more routine. It may
support from other sympathetic adults never be "easy" for some kids, but it's
friends and family, a support group of important to have a goal of becoming
parents of kids with learning problems, vocal and vigilant about their learning
or a counselor so that you can bring a needs.
positive outlook to the task of Keep up the Good Work By her second or
supporting your child. third year of high school, your child
Choose Your Words By middle school and should have some understanding of how her
high school, your child will have been strengths, talents, and learning or
exposed to a variety of terms for her attention problems may affect her
learning struggles some of which are very education or career goals. If you've been
negative and disrespectful. Continue to able to help her develop a realistic
talk openly and honestly with your picture of her strengths and weaknesses;
adolescent about her learning to use problem-solving approaches that
difficulties to counter the myths and make use of her strengths to overcome
misinformation she may hear at school, in weaknesses; to identify and use resources
the media, or elsewhere. Use facts about and help; and to approach big goals as a
learning disabilities and the series of small steps; she'll be able to
achievements of people with these help chart her course into young
disabilities, as evidence to counter her adulthood.
negative and self-defeating beliefs about To a great extent, development of all of
her intelligence or ability. Many these skills relies on ongoing
teenagers express a sense of relief and communication between your teenager and
can cope better when parents and teachers the various helpful adults in her life.
offer them accurate information about It's a lot of work, and you may not get
their learning problems and realistic, much thanks along the way. But, in the
step-by-step strategies for addressing end, your child may show her gratitude
them. when you least expect it. She may credit
Use Correct Terms for Support Services If you as the reason for her graduation from
your child receives special education high school or tell you what a great role
assistance or has an IEP (Individualized model you were for raising her own kids.
Education Plan) or 504 plan, you and your Accolades or not, you'll be helping her
teenager's teachers should use do her best.
appropriate terms to describe the type of






1- A- B- C- D- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9- 10- 11- 12- 13- 14- 15- 16- 17- 18- 19- 20- 21- 22- 23- 24- 25- 26- 27- 28- 29- 30- 31- 32- 33- 34- 35- 36- 37- 38- 39- 40- 41- 42- 43- 44- 45- 46- 47- 48- 49- 50- 51- 52- 53-