for parents.
When kids and teens are diagnosed with learning disorders, parents and caregivers might be hit with feelings of worry and concern for their school performance, wondering if this will set them back at all or become an obstacle in their lives.
What we might not think about is how a learning disorder may affect kids’ and teens’ mental health.
Kids with learning disorders often struggle with low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.
Sometimes, if a child or adolescent is struggling with these areas, the signs are obvious, like expressing worry about their image or crying when they are frustrated with themselves.
Other times, the signs that they are struggling may go unnoticed because they are not as obvious, or do not seem directly correlated but they are.
Here are some of the signs your kid is struggling with their learning disorder diagnosis:
They are acting out.
Sometimes kids would rather be seen as badly behaved than “dumb,” so they may engage in attention seeking behaviors, become the class clown, or become the “bad kid.”
This may be to divert attention away from their academic struggles, to have a redeemable quality, or to adapt the “I don’t care” attitude to make it seem like their low grades are intentional.
Make sure you have talks with them if you see this sort of behavior or it is reported from teachers, so that they know they do not have to put up a facade.
They may make self deprecating jokes (not maybe are not jokes).
If an LD is affecting your kid’s self esteem, they may truly feel their value goes down when they struggle or fall behind in school.
If your kid senses that you believe having an LD is a bad thing, they will also follow suit.
Make sure your kid knows that having an LD is not a sign of someone being dumb, and it has nothing to do with intelligence at all.
Finding something they are good at like sports or hobbies can help provide a sense of purpose, achievement, and confidence.
They are becoming more isolated.
Some kids really take it hard if they have a learning disorder, and think that there is something wrong with them. They do not see it as a diagnosis but rather a defect.
This mentality may come with other symptoms of depression, such as becoming more recluse, hygiene issues, eating less, sleeping less, and drawing more and more inward.
Sometimes this sort of behavior can be sorted out with some chats and family time, but sometimes more support is needed, especially in school but also maybe in the form of therapy.
They are burning out.
Some kids with learning disorders start to feel burnt out because they need to work harder than their peers in order to keep up.
Spending a lot of time learning something that is difficult can be extremely frustrating, sometimes discouraging, and leave them worn out/ overly tired/ unmotivated.
Expanding interests by signing up for clubs, sports, learning new skills, and more outside of school activities can help kids experience less school-focused burnout.
Help your child set small, achievable goals and take things one step at a time so they do not feel like they need to conquer everything all at once.
If your child has been diagnosed with a learning disorder and you are starting to see an uptick in anxiety, lower self-esteem, depression-like symptoms, behavioral issues, and any other emotional struggles, please do not hesitate to reach out for more support. Call today for a free, 15-minute phone consultation and see if Amel Counseling & Consulting can provide your child and family the support needed.