Learning disabilities affect the brain's capability to analyze and process information. If your teen is exhibiting the signs of a learning disability, have his doctor check him for hearing or vision troubles to make sure the problem is not physical. If these sensory skills are intact, your teenager most likely is struggling with a learning disability.
While this makes it more difficult for your teenager to learn, most schools are willing to adapt to your child's learning disability. There are a few warnings signs to be wary of in regards to learning disabilities in teens.
Adjusting to Change
When your teenager has problems adjusting to change, they may have a learning disability. This is exhibited by them needing everything to be at the exact same time, in the exact same place every single day. You can work with this problem by having a specific schedule that your teenager follows every day.
Attention Span
A short attention span may be an indicator of a learning disability. This means that your adolescent struggles with paying attention for more than a few minutes on a consistent basis. Teenagers with a short attention span tend to learn best through hands-on activities rather than lecture.
Inability to Differentiate Between Letters
When your teenager consistently struggles with the difference between certain letters, this may indicate a learning disability.
If you are wondering whether they are struggling with this, ask your teenager to read something out loud to you. This will help you see if they are distinguishing letters properly.
Memory Problems
A teenager with a learning disability may have difficulty memorizing information. This may need to be brought to the teacher's attention in order for your adolescent to be successful taking tests. You can help your child retain information by relating certain pieces of information to pictures. This way, when they see the picture it helps them remember information.
Problems with Sequencing
When your adolescent struggles with organizing numbers in the appropriate order, this could be an indicator of a learning disability. This could cause significant problems with classes such as mathematics. If your child does have this learning disability, get a tutor to help them with the extra work they will need in math class.
The specialty team at Horizon Family Solutions & Associates routinely provides comprehensive case management, crisis intervention, and educational planning for complex psychiatric and special needs cases. Our goal and intention is to optimize your child's experience, avert crisis and bring greater creativity to your educational planning.