 | Self-Esteem? |
Throughout this process, it is important to keep your child's self-esteem high and remind them that they are not dumb, but that they simply learn differently. However, your child's peers do not understand the process, either. There is a possibility that children in the classroom, in the school, or on the bus might say or do something that upsets your child. They may question why he leaves the room so often, or why he gets special privileges. How you deal with this is entirely up to you and your child. Here, you need to listen to your son or daughter, because he or she is the one that will be dealing with this on a daily basis. Some children are most comfortable handling it on their own, while some ask for the support of their parents and teachers. Some may choose to tell their peers, while others may choose to keep it private. Having a learning difficulty is nothing to be ashamed of, and encouraging your child to have this mindset will boost your child's self-esteem a great deal.
Sometimes it is helpful to allow your child to assess his own strengths and weaknesses. One way you can do this is to simply have your child's teacher ask him to evaluate his work. Another posibility is to engage him in self-determination based activities. Encourage him to think about his weaknesses and strengths, and how he can overcome his weaknesses using his strengths. Your child's self-perception is very important for his success in special education. If he believes that he can be successful, he will.
