Worried Your Child May Have a Learning Disability?

By  Ann U.

Sometimes trying to figure out if your child is on track for learning is difficult. Are they really having trouble learning the alphabet or are they just taking a little more time than the child next door? Or if they are a bit older, are they resisting reading because it is truly hard for them or do they really just prefer playing baseball?

Learning disabilities are prevalent in our society but many still don’t understand what they are or how to diagnose them. In fact, learning disabilities affect 10-20% of the population and cut across every segment of society.

If you have any concerns about your child, you should talk with your pediatrician since early detection and intervention are crucial. Approximately 30% of children are significantly delayed in reading by the time they enter the fourth grade and three-quarters of these poor readers never successfully close the reading achievement gap. Yet research documents that with intensive, appropriate instruction and early intervention, 95% of these reading impaired children can overcome their reading difficulties!

Having a learning disability doesn’t mean your child isn’t intelligent. In fact, many have average or above average intelligence. And recent studies have discovered that a third of all entrepreneurs are dyslexic, including such well-known and successful people as Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways, Charles R. Schwab, founder of the discount brokerage firm that bears his name, and Paul Orfalea, founder of Kinko’s copy chain.

There are lots of other famous individuals who overcame learning disabilities, including people like Agatha Christie, Magic Johnson, Leonardo Da Vinci, Winston Churchill, Walt Disney and McDreamy himself, Patrick Dempsey, to name just a few.

If you child is diagnosed with a learning disability there are several great private schools in the area that can help:

Winston-Salem: Triad Academy is located at 905 Friedberg Church Road. They are holding an Admissions Open House on Thursday, February 12, 2009 from 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. For more info call 336-775-4900 or visithttp://www.triadacademy.org/.

High Point: The Piedmont School is located at 815 Old Mill Road. For more info call 883-0992 or visithttp://www.thepiedmontschool.com/.

Greensboro: Guilford Day School is located at 3310 Horse Pen Creek Road. For more info call 282-7044 or visithttp://www.guilfordday.org/.

Do you have advice you can share for parents of children with learning disabilities? If so, please share in the comments section below.