Navigating your child’s educational journey can be challenging, especially when you notice they are struggling in ways that do not seem to match their effort. “Learning differences” is a broad term, but understanding the specific profiles can help you advocate for the right support.

Based on recent clinical insights, here is an overview of the most common learning disorders and how they may show up in the classroom.

ADHD, Executive Functioning, and the “Management System” of the Brain

We often think of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, as difficulty paying attention, but it is more accurately described as a broader challenge with executive functioning. Executive functioning is regulated by the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain that does not fully mature until the mid-20s.

• The core regulation challenges: ADHD impacts a child’s ability to regulate attention, impulses, and emotions. It can also affect cognitive flexibility, time management, planning, organization, task initiation, and task completion.
• How it looks in the classroom: You might see a child who forgets to turn in finished assignments, loses materials, struggles to get started, becomes stuck during transitions, or turns in rushed or incomplete work. Some students have strong ideas but struggle to organize them clearly on paper.
• The learning gap: Because of weak planning skills and working memory challenges, students with ADHD may show inconsistent performance, excelling one day and struggling the next.

The Spectrum of Reading Disorders

Reading is not a natural process for the human brain. It requires multiple systems to work together. When one system is struggling, different types of reading disorders can emerge.

• Dyslexia: Dyslexia is a specific learning disability characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition. It often involves challenges with phonemic awareness, decoding, visual fluency, whole-word recognition, and orthographic memory.
• Reading fluency disorder: Some children can decode and recognize words accurately but cannot do so with speed. Their reading may be slow, effortful, and filled with frequent pauses, which can make comprehension more difficult.
• Reading comprehension disorder: This can be harder to notice. A child may sound like a strong reader when reading aloud but struggle to understand the bigger picture, make inferences, summarize, or visualize what they have read.

Math Disorder, or Dyscalculia

Math disorders are often misunderstood as a simple dislike of the subject. In reality, dyscalculia can involve several distinct patterns of difficulty.

• Number sense: Difficulty understanding quantities or how numbers relate to one another.
• Procedural challenges: Difficulty remembering the steps needed to solve long division problems, multi-step equations, or other math procedures.
• Memory and retrieval: A child may understand the concept of multiplication but struggle to quickly retrieve math facts from memory.
• Visuospatial issues: Some children struggle to interpret graphs and charts, align numbers in columns, or visualize how numbers relate to one another in space.

Writing Disorder, or Dysgraphia

Writing is often one of the most demanding academic tasks because it brings together language, organization, memory, fine motor skills, and executive functioning. Dysgraphia can stem from several different challenges.

• Visual-spatial organization: Difficulty keeping margins straight, spacing words correctly, or organizing work on the page.
• Graphomotor coordination and spelling: Fine motor challenges can make pencil grip, letter formation, and the physical act of writing difficult. For some students, spelling may break down once they begin writing because so much mental energy is being used for motor planning and letter formation.
• The “brain-to-paper” gap: A child may have strong ideas verbally but struggle to organize and express those thoughts in writing.
• Dyslexia-linked writing: Students with dyslexia may also struggle with spelling and written expression because of challenges with phonemic encoding and orthographic memory.

Nonverbal Learning Disorder, or NVLD

NVLD, also known as Developmental Visual-Spatial Disorder, is characterized by a significant discrepancy in a child’s cognitive profile. Their verbal abilities may be strong, while their visual-spatial reasoning is much weaker. Because these children often express themselves clearly, their struggles with visual, spatial, and motor tasks can be overlooked.

• Core deficits: Children with NVLD may struggle with visual reasoning, visual memory, spatial estimation, interpreting visual information, motor coordination, and proprioception.
• Social and contextual impact: Some children may have difficulty reading body language, facial expressions, or other visual social cues. These challenges can be subtle.
• The academic toll: NVLD can affect math and reading comprehension because both often require visual-spatial reasoning and visualization.

Note: While NVLD is a widely recognized clinical profile and can be useful for guiding interventions, it is not currently listed as a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5.

Moving Toward Intervention: What Parents Can Do

Understanding the diagnosis is only the beginning. The goal is to move from frustration to targeted intervention. The intervention should be matched to the vulnerability. While general reading or math drills may help, they are not likely to be sufficient on their own to remediate a learning disorder.

A comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation can help identify patterns of learning challenges and clarify a student’s specific vulnerabilities. This information allows families and schools to choose more targeted supports. For example, sight-word training may help with surface dyslexia, while phonemic-based instruction, such as Wilson or Orton-Gillingham, is often needed for dysphonetic dyslexia. Executive function coaching can help students with ADHD or other executive functioning challenges build skills in studying, note-taking, time management, organization, and task completion.

Parents can also set up a meeting with their child’s academic team to discuss whether accommodations or special education services may be appropriate. In-school intervention can be very helpful when available and is usually provided at no cost. Families may also consider private or external services when a child needs more specialized, frequent, or intensive support.

Ultimately, the more you understand your child’s learning differences, the more empowered you will be to make informed decisions and support your child’s educational journey.

About the Author

Daniel J. Glass, PhD, ABPP is Director of Clinical Training at Sasco River Center and a board-certified clinical psychologist with expertise in ADHD, learning differences, executive functioning, emotional well-being, and psychoeducational assessment. He works closely with children, adolescents, and families to identify strengths, understand challenges, and develop effective supports for success in school and everyday life.

Related Resources for Families

• • ADHD Resources
  • Executive Functioning Resources
  • Dyslexia Resources
  • IEP Resourcess
  • Supporting Emotional Adjustment in Children with ADHD and Learning Differences
  • Programs & Events

The post Understanding Common Learning Differences: A Guide for Parents first appeared on Smart Kids.

Children with ADHD and learning differences often work much harder than others realize just to get through the school day. Many are managing constant effort behind the scenes: trying to stay focused, keep up with work, mask frustration, avoid mistakes, navigate social situations, and recover from repeated feelings of discouragement or failure. As parents, caregivers, and educators, supporting emotional well-being is inseparable from supporting learning.

Here are several evidence-based ways families can help children build confidence, resilience, and emotional regulation over time, core skills that are essential for long-term success.

Validate Feelings Before Solving Problems

When children are struggling emotionally, adults naturally want to fix the problem quickly or help the child move on. But before children can problem-solve effectively, they often need to feel understood first. Many children with ADHD and learning differences experience emotions very intensely, especially when they feel embarrassed, overwhelmed, or discouraged.

Leading with simple responses like:

• “That sounds really frustrating.”
• “I can see why you’re upset.”
• “That was a hard situation.”

can help children feel supported and emotionally safe before moving toward solutions.

Focus on Effort and Persistence, Not Just Performance

Healthy confidence grows when children learn that effort, persistence, problem-solving, and recovery after setbacks matter just as much as outcomes. Praising only grades or achievements can unintentionally reinforce the idea that their value depends on performance.

Instead, notice things like:

• Trying again after a setback
• Asking for help
• Staying with a difficult task
• Using coping strategies
• Recovering after frustration

Celebrating perseverance helps children develop resilience and a healthier sense of self-worth.

Understand That Behavior Often Communicates Stress

Irritability, shutdowns, perfectionism, avoidance, emotional outbursts, or even “oppositional” behavior are often signs that a child is overwhelmed rather than intentionally defiant.

Children with ADHD and learning differences may spend much of the day trying to manage attention, emotions, social expectations, and academic demands. When stress builds up, behavior is often the first signal that additional support is needed.

Looking beneath the behavior can help adults respond with empathy, structure, and curiosity rather than relying on punishment alone.

Create a Judgment-Free Space for Conversation

Children are more likely to open up when they feel listened to rather than immediately corrected, reassured, or lectured. Creating calm, judgment-free opportunities for conversation helps children feel emotionally safe.

Sometimes the most supportive response is simply listening:

• “Tell me more about that.”
• “What was the hardest part?”
• “What do you wish people understood?”

Feeling heard strengthens connection and encourages children to communicate more openly over time.

Protect Downtime and Recovery Time

Many neurodivergent children spend the school day working overtime mentally and emotionally. By the end of the day, they may feel exhausted even if it is not always obvious externally.

Downtime is not a luxury or reward that must be earned. For many neurodivergent children, it is a genuine emotional and neurological need. It is essential for emotional recovery and regulation. Quiet time, movement, hobbies, creativity, outdoor play, and unstructured breaks can all help children recharge.

Encourage Self-Awareness and Self-Advocacy

When children understand that everyone’s brain works differently, they are often better able to develop self-compassion and independence instead of shame.

Children benefit from learning:

• What environments help them focus
• What situations feel overwhelming
• Which coping strategies work best
• How to ask for support when needed

Self-awareness and self-advocacy are lifelong skills that can improve both emotional wel-lbeing and academic success.

Partner Closely With Schools

Learning and emotional well-being are deeply connected. When parents, teachers, and support staff communicate openly, children benefit from greater consistency and understanding across environments.

Sharing observations about stress, emotional changes, academic challenges, or successful strategies can help adults better support the child as a team.

Highlight Strengths and Interests Often

Children thrive when they are recognized for more than their struggles. While support and intervention are important, it is equally important to nurture the things that make children feel capable, confident, and valued.

Creativity, humor, kindness, curiosity, leadership, problem-solving, artistic ability, empathy, and perseverance all deserve attention, encouragement, and celebration.

Celebrate Small Wins

Emotional growth is rarely linear. Progress often comes in small steps, especially during stressful periods or transitions.

A child who:

• recovers from frustration more quickly,
• asks for help instead of shutting down,
• tries something new,
• or uses a coping skill independently

is making meaningful progress.

Recognizing these small victories helps children build confidence and reminds them that growth takes time.

Supporting children with ADHD and learning differences through emotional struggles can be exhausting and emotionally demanding for parents as well. Consistency, connection, and progress over time matter far more than getting every moment “right.” It is about helping children feel understood, supported, capable, and valued for who they are, both inside and outside the classroom.

The post Supporting Emotional Adjustment in Children with ADHD & Learning Differences first appeared on Smart Kids.

Spring is a common moment for families to assess how local school options are engaging their child and to think ahead to future grades. Inevitably at this time of year, some students and families start to contemplate boarding school opportunities—but worry that it is too late to make a new plan for September. Fortunately, there is still time. With the initial enrollment deadlines generally in April, schools are taking stock of how many spaces they have available. Next begins a second season in the admission cycle. While some schools enroll students right up to when the academic year begins, the sooner you take action, the more options you will find.

Between COVID-related educational disruptions still reverberating and recent policy upheavals at the Department of Education, more families than ever seek to make up for lost ground regarding academic, extracurricular, and social growth for their students. Because of the multifaceted interactions with peers and faculty mentors, boarding schools have a unique capacity to nurture personal growth on all fronts.

Use these tips to launch a boarding school search now for enrollment this fall:

• Don’t delay. The secondary admission cycle moves quickly. Students usually assemble application files—including transcripts, essays, and letters of recommendation—before having their interviews. Admission committees then have everything needed to make decisions efficiently.
• Conduct research virtually. While in-person visits are still preferable, virtual content that schools offer provides insight into each school’s unique offerings.
• Think broadly about letters of recommendation. Schools often offer flexibility in accepting supplemental letters from previous teachers, coaches, or other adults who can speak confidently about a student’s character and commitment.
• Give perspective on your child’s educational experiences. Schools understand that many students struggled during the pandemic and subsequent years. Application forms include a space for parents to provide context on lower grades or other impacts on their children.
• Reach out. The status of enrollment varies significantly by school. Working with an educational consultant can help you clarify where openings exist. We also can help to quickly recognize how your family’s educational goals and priorities match with various schools’ missions.

Kristen J. Naspo is a partner with The Bertram Group, based in Connecticut. She provides services for domestic and international boarding school candidates and those seeking therapeutic school placements. She can be reached at krissy@thebertramgroup.com

Related Smart Kids Topics

• Have You Considered Boarding School?
• Is a Small Boarding School Right for Your Child?
• Is It Time for a New School?

The post It’s Not Too Late to Find a New School for Fall first appeared on Smart Kids.

Allison is a slow reader and poor speller. She struggles throughout the school year even with special education support. Her mother just learned of a special six-week summer program, recommended by the school to help Allison improve her reading and writing. Allison, however, has been looking forward to a summer free of academics, indulging her passion for acting at drama camp. Unfortunately camp takes place at the same time as the remedial reading program.

Conventional wisdom might suggest that Allison opt for the remedial experience and postpone drama for another summer. But Allison’s mom understands that her daughter needs time off from the hard work of school. Allison has, in fact, had a difficult year and is discouraged.

This more positive approach is not without precedent. We know that learning happens when students have strong academic success and positive self-worth. When children feel smart and confident in their abilities, they are more likely to make an effort to reach goals and overcome difficulties.

Many experts who work with struggling students believe that paying attention to their positive aspects is a more effective intervention than remediation.

Summer Options

What does this mean for your family? Simply put, providing opportunities for talent development is important for your child’s education.

Find summer programs that align with their strengths and interests. Summer is the perfect time to provide students with the following types of experiences:

• In-depth focus opportunities are for students with strong interests who want to delve deeply into a subject without distraction. Finding a camp with high-level training in a specialty area can help a child master specific skills as well as develop persistence and self-discipline. This type of camp can also be a place where your child finds true friends and peers with the same interests.
• Exploration experiences are for children who have yet to identify an area of strong interest. Too often, such children have been preoccupied with what they cannot do to the exclusion of learning where their strengths lie. For those children, exposure to the smorgasbord of activities offered by many traditional summer camps may be the perfect place to dabble in a number of different domains.
• Fun time without structure is for children who need a real break from ongoing lessons and tight schedules. Summer camps can be just the ticket for regenerating the mind and body, to say nothing of the value of cultivating a spirit of adventure.

In short, summer is a time for re-creation. Let your child have a stress-free opportunity to find success and build an “I can” attitude to arm them for returning to school in September.

The author is the Chancellor of the Bridges Graduate School for Cognitive Diversity in Education and Co-Director of the 2e Center for Research and Professional Development at Bridges Academy. She is the author of many publications, including To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled.

Related Smart Kids Topics

• Make Room for Talents and Interests

The post Summer Options: What’s Best for Your Child? first appeared on Smart Kids.

It’s prom season—the time of year when common sense goes out the window with teens and many parents, too. If you’re committed to your child’s popularity or keeping up with the Joneses when it comes to setting limits on teens, perhaps you should read no further. Although I sympathize with the temptation to give in to prom plans that you know are not safe, I am here to tell you after five proms that now is the time to say “no” or “not yet” to your darling’s demands of the season.

Underlying the advice I’m about to offer is this truth: Prom and all associated costs and events are a privilege and not a right! The main—and only point—is safety first, and all requests should be filtered through the following few questions to ensure that outcome:

Is my child’s proposed prom plan safe? Is it reasonable?

Teens traveling alone, late at night to a vacation house that they will stay at unattended for a weekend is not safe or sane. Period. Parents serving alcohol, hiring party buses that allow alcohol to be consumed etc., is illegal and also not safe or sane. Parents getting tipsy or drunk at lavish pre-prom picture-taking events while young people get ready to leave is not safe, sane, or a smart message to be sending kids going off to party.

These are but a partial list of actual situations we have found ourselves in with our four kids. And yes, I was “the meanest, psycho mother“ who questioned these things and said “no” while offering safer, saner choices. All my kids survived, still have friends, and as young adults now realize how dumb the parents were who allowed all that nonsense.

Is this actually a plan that other parents have approved, or is my kid just telling me that?

I have to admit that sometimes my own kids were lying when they said “Everyone already has permission!” but, sadly, sometimes they were telling the truth. When I would call to verify, I actually had a few conversations that went like this:

Well, yes, we are not thrilled about the 20 teens going to our Vermont house alone, but our neighbors will keep an eye out. And besides, they are going to party all weekend anyway; if they are at our house it will be safer.

It is none of your business that we are serving alcohol. The teens are locked in. How dare you ask us to reconsider? You are so naïve—they all will get drunk anyway….

These are tough conversations to have, but you do need to check on your teens’ proposed plans, and when you make the calls you may have a delightful interaction such as the following: 

I am so glad you called. We were so worried too about this idea! I am not going to let my kid go either! That was a nutty plan. What can we do?

Luckily, I have had more connections with parents with common sense when it comes to safety, but it is also sad to hear from parents who want to make safer plans with their child but feel that they have no alternative but to give in to the parental peer pressure of a weekend blow-out.

Know what your own safety boundaries are, explain them to your teen and stick to them!

Your child may still choose to break the rules (“They are going to do it anyway.”) and then let them know what the consequences will be if they do lie and break the expectations.

What safe plans has the school created? 

Many high schools, PTAs, etc. spend a great deal of time and money creating amazing post-prom events that are poorly attended due to competing parties. Try to get your child’s friends on board through positive parental pressure to attend the school and community-sponsored post-prom events.

Can we afford it? Even if we can, is this money well spent? 

I know this is a silly thing for some to read. I’ve witnessed dresses that cost $700-plus, stretch Hummer limos that cost thousands (versus a shared limo that costs all teens $100), all manner of stupid and conspicuous spending that is then often connected to unsafe plans. Many of the price tags connected to prom and graduation are appropriate for a small wedding rather than a school dance. Prom is a night, not a weekend; prom is an event, not a TV reality show!

Teach your child that staying within a budget is always a good idea and help them financially with only the parts of the plan that you feel are safe and reasonable. Again, don’t be too influenced by parental peer pressure.

In summary, when my husband and I had to say “no” to a proposed plan, we would always counter with a better option including help with the planning, financing, etc. for the better plan. I can’t say that our kids always did what we thought was better, but the two times that the “plan” was broken, the teens did in fact agree that it was a dumb idea, after the fact of course. And it didn’t take a full 15 years!!!

I wish you a safe and sane prom and graduation season!

Liz Jorgenson, CADC, is the Director of Insight Counseling and a nationally recognized expert in working with resistant teens.

The post Prom Pressure: Just Say No first appeared on Smart Kids.

When exploring options for teen summer plans, parents often ask me about pre-college programs that are hosted by colleges and universities. In particular, parents wonder if attending such programs now will enhance candidates’ college applications later. While there is no direct relationship between enrollment in a summer program and admission as an undergraduate, such activities offer the following benefits for college-bound teens:

• Increased confidence and a sense of independence. Living in dorms, eating in dining halls, and making friends from around the world is a fun challenge. Teens take pride in rising to the occasion of managing their time and laundry without parental reminders.
• Immersion in special interests. Some programs spend weeks exploring a particular topic—like robotics, journalism, filmmaking, entrepreneurship, or social justice. This intense focus can inspire tremendous growth and allow students to explore new fields.
• An opportunity to sample college-style courses. Students can enjoy classes with more focused themes that are unavailable in most high schools. Compared to “Senior English,” courses that offer a deep dive into gothic novels or literature of the Harlem Renaissance may spark a love of learning.
• A vision of themselves on a college campus. When students do start their college search, having lived on one campus may give them insights into others. Do they prefer a large college or a small campus? An urban or rural setting?
• Sampling of a setting before applying for early decision. Some students may like to see what living on a specific campus is like before applying to a school for early decision, which is binding.

Of course, the most important aspect of any summer program is what teens take away from it—new friends and expanded horizons. And as with any endeavor, the connection between this experience and the college application process depends on how integral it is to a student’s personal growth and future dreams. Choosing meaningful summer activities is about focusing on students’ current interests, while also keeping an eye on what will support their development as young adults. Within that realm, pre-college programs are certainly something to consider.

Deena Maerowitz works with students ranging from freshmen to seniors and is an expert in both undergraduate and graduate education. She is widely published and sought-after as a speaker on college planning. She can be reached at deena@thebertramgroup.com. This first appeared in Moffly Media’s March/April issue of Stamford magazine. It is reprinted with permission from an online publication by The Bertram Group

The post Do Pre-College Summer Programs Benefit Teens? first appeared on Smart Kids.

For example, some kids with learning issues differ from their peers in overall maturity and in their ability to follow instructions, handle competition, interact with other kids, and cope with difficult situations. Some struggle with the transition from school to camp and from teacher/parent authority to counselors. Other young campers become anxious about meeting expectations of counselors, specialists, division heads, and other campers.

To ease your child into a summer of fun, begin by taking a look at our Summer Camp Guidelines for Kids with LD & ADHD. These are helpful general guidelines that apply to all ages. But for young kids (elementary-school age), and first-time campers, there are special considerations to keep in mind as you search for a venue that will suit your child best:

• Can the camp accommodate your child’s specific safety needs, e.g. adaptive sports, specialized swim instruction, etc.?
• If your child takes medication, can they assume responsibility for taking it or must they be supervised by staff?
• How does the camp deal with separation anxiety and homesickness?
• How does the camp work with children who have difficulty expressing their emotions or needs, children who process slowly, and children who need extra attention?
• What individualized attention is given to children who need help with hygiene, dressing, following directions, understanding boundaries, limiting impulsivity, etc.?
• Is alternative programming available for children who are unable to perform certain activities or anxious about attempting them?
• In overnight camps, what is the bedtime routine, and how accessible are night duty counselors?

The goal is to find a setting in which your child will thrive, and you can rest easy knowing they’re safe and having the time of their life! With proper planning, the right match can be a restorative, liberating respite from the daily school grind the rest of the year.

Related Smart Kids Topics

• Summer Camp Guidelines For Kids with LD & ADHD
• Camp Guidelines for Middle-School Kids

The post Finding the Right Camp for A First-Timer first appeared on Smart Kids.

Once your child withdraws from the program, they’re no longer eligible for Special Ed services. If it doesn’t work out, they can’t simply change their mind. To be readmitted to the program, they would have to go through a full evaluation, just as they did originally, which could take months.

If their desire to exit the program coincides with freshman year, counsel them to postpone the decision for at least a semester while they get used to a more rigorous curricula.

Furthermore, one could argue that high school may be the exact wrong time to forego supports, particularly if your child has plans for higher education. While college admission depends on many variables, an applicant’s high school academic performance plays an outsized role, which is another reason why foregoing supports that help them succeed when it counts most may not serve your child’s future interests.

A Reasonable Compromise

Rather than exit the program, the more sensible option may be to take a measured approach:

• First, try cutting back the services your child is receiving. After a reasonable amount of time, evaluate if they’re succeeding with less oversight.
• If they’re handling learning independently, they can then request to go on observation. This allows them to access services should they need them without having to reapply to the program.
• If they do well on observation, they can move to Section 504 status, which provides for accommodations, but not for Special Ed services.

Following these steps affords you and your child time to carefully evaluate their readiness to exit Special Ed without the negative repercussions that might occur with a more rash decision.

The post Think Twice Before Exiting Special Ed first appeared on Smart Kids.

Many girls struggle with ADHD without ever being properly diagnosed. Instead of recognizing that ADHD in females looks different than it does in males, clinicians frequently mistake girls’ ADHD symptoms for a host of other concerns, including social-emotional issues, sleep problems, eating challenges, anxiety, depression, or mood disorders. As a result, their ADHD goes untreated, leaving them vulnerable to the lifelong challenges that often accompany untreated ADHD. 

According to ADHD expert Dr. Lotta Borg Skogland, for girls to be correctly diagnosed and get appropriate treatment, they need to be armed with objective, personal data about their difficulties and strengths, and be able to communicate clearly to health professionals and teachers.

That’s easier said than done. Because girls have “masked and mimicked their entire lives to feel normal,” Skogland explains, “their self-awareness is often underdeveloped.” In addition, because emotional dysregulation (the inability to manage strong emotions) is the hallmark of girls’ ADHD, they are easily overwhelmed when asked how they feel or what they need, especially in stressful or intimidating situations, such as being questioned by a doctor.

In Their Own Words

Based on her research, Skogland illustrates how girls with ADHD describe their key feelings, often struggling to find the right words:

I’m different: I feel lonely, left out, rejected; I’m not likable; I mask to fit in, but I feel like a fraud; There has always been something different/wrong/off about me, but I can’t find the words.

I’m stupid: My brain fails me; I’m never good enough; I’m a failure; When I try to concentrate, my thoughts slip away or stop; When I try to relax, my mind starts working like crazy to solve world peace, or what happens after you die, or stuff like that; The risks I’ve taken make me freeze.

I’m hopeless: I can’t control or trust my emotions or energy levels—I make plans and I cancel them; There’s so much drama around me; I feel so ashamed of myself; I need to be really disciplined and controlled to do well in school and in life—I have to control what I eat, when I exercise, when I study, and how I act with friends, otherwise, everything turns to chaos; It’s no use asking for help anymore.

How You Can Help

To ensure that girls with ADHD are not misdiagnosed, Skogland maintains that they should be encouraged to explore their own ADHD profile, gather real-life information about themselves, and learn to share it clearly with health professionals, teachers, and others who support them. Following are Skogland’s recommendations for how you can help your daughters better understand and explain their feelings and behavior:

• Educate them about their medical history, including family history, because ADHD tends to run in families. 
• Don’t try to normalize or minimize their feelings with comments such as, “Everyone feels like this,” or “Everyone thinks this is difficult and struggles sometimes.” 
• Help them recognize and label their emotions and understand what triggers them (e.g., a bad night’s sleep, where they are in their hormonal cycle, negative effects of medication, being teased or rejected by peers, etc.).
• Teach them to monitor various lifestyle factors, especially those that cause them to struggle (social situations, work or school deadlines, remembering appointments, diet, exercise, stress, medication management, substance use or abuse, etc.).
• Assist them in keeping track of what helps them feel calm and successful (healthy routines and moderation, not responding impulsively and instead waiting and reappraising situations and responding when feeling emotionally anchored, medication, asking for a time out, taking responsibility, etc.).

This article is based on the ADDitude webinar, The Emotional Lives of Girls with ADHD, by Lotta Borg Skogland, M.D., Ph.D. Eve Kessler, Esq., a former criminal appellate attorney, is Co-Founder of SPED*NET and a Contributing Editor of Smart Kids. 

Related Smart Kids Topics

• Girls with ADHD
• Understanding Inattentive ADHD
• Girls with ADHD Face Unique Challenges

The post How to Help Girls with ADHD first appeared on Smart Kids.

As a parent of a child with a language-based learning disability (LBLD), you need to be vigilant regarding the demands placed on your child in the school setting. Fulfilling these demands requires several skills, some of which may emerge slowly in your child. One such skill is self-advocacy, or your child’s ability to identify and articulate their needs. 

All parents want their children to be able to speak up for themselves at school. But for kids with LBLDs, self-advocacy develops with mastery of other skills including communication, self-awareness, and the ability to plan and initiate. 

For a child who is competent in those areas, you can begin to tackle self-advocacy—a skill that comes in handy in all sorts of situations, but particularly when they don’t understand a concept well enough to complete an assignment or study for a test. 

Following are several ways you can help your child develop this ability:

• Help them come up with questions to ask their teacher
• Act as their scribe by writing down their questions
• Help them figure out when and how to meet with the teacher
• If your child’s teacher prefers email, help them draft the email
• Suggest and demonstrate ways they can show respect to the teacher to help build a positive working relationship

When your child plans to speak with the teacher, follow up by asking how it went and what happened. If they didn’t speak with the teacher, offer specific suggestions. For example, prompt your child to speak with the teacher before class starts, at the end of class, or during recess. If your child doesn’t pick up on your suggestions, become their safety net by helping them draft an email either asking the questions or requesting a meeting to do so.

This post is excerpted from Helping Your Child with Language-Based Learning Disabilities (Strategies to Succeed in School and Life with Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, ADHD, and Auditory Processing Disorder), by Daniel Franklin, Ph.D.; published by New Harbinger Publications (2018). Available at Amazon through this link: Helping Your Child with Language-Based Learning Disabilities. Dr. Franklin is a Board Certified Educational Therapist and the founder of Franklin Educational Services.

The post Building Self-Advocacy Skills first appeared on Smart Kids.