LD Parent Wants to Help LD Child

When parents suffer from the same learning problems as their child, they can have a tough time offering help.
Q
I have an 11-year-old who needs help with his learning across the board. That makes me sad on a daily basis. I'm always reminded about his need for a lot of help -- but I can't help much because I have learning problems, too.
A
It's very clear that you love your child very much and want to do everything you can to help him. Many parents suffer from the same learning problems their children are experiencing. That certainly can make your job much tougher. If you contact the main office of the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) at 1-888-300-6710, they may be able to link you up with a parent support group in your area. Also, it's never too late to see if you can get some help through them for your own learning difficulties. Ask LDA to direct you to adult literacy groups in your area. By helping yourself, you can help your child, too.
For more than 20 years, Eileen Marzola has worked with children and adults with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders, and with their parents and teachers. She has been a regular education classroom teacher, a consultant teacher/resource teacher, an educational evaluator/diagnostician, and has also taught graduate students at the university level. Marzola is an adjunct assistant professor of education at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Hunter College of the City University of New York. She also maintains a private practice in the evaluation and teaching of children with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders.

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