Without a doubt, school is an important part of a child's life. And the more they like spending time there, the more calm your life will be as a parent. However, kids go through phases just like adults and it's important that mums and dads keep a tab on their child's overall physical and mental wellbeing, as much as they do on academics.
Not every child may have a smooth-sailing experience in school and there will be times when they struggle to cope with homework. On some occasions, they may absolutely refuse to go to school.
All of these are warning signs that you need to watch out for.
If they are struggling to cope with what's being taught or if they simply feel disinterested, it could point towards learning disabilities in children. While some kids will openly communicate their problems, others bottle them up.
So, parents, here are five signs that you need to look out for to understand if your child is struggling in school.
Learning Disabilities In Children: 5 Signs To Watch Out
1. Your Child Refuses To Attend School
One of the most obvious signs that your child is struggling at school is the fact that they don't want to go there. If there's a sudden change in them not sharing about their day with you or what they learnt in school, it could be a sign that things aren't right.
This could also have to do with how they are coping up with their studies.
If your child isn't really understanding what's being taught, an easy way to cope up with this would be to disengage with school activities entirely. This is a red flag and could hint at learning disabilities in children.
Is your child able to identify letters? Can they memorise numbers? Are they able to form complete sentences or follow complicated instructions?
In order to organise help for kids struggling with learning, you will first need to understand why the child is refusing to attend a school or feels disinterested in the subjects. And that requires you to find answers to the aforementioned questions.
2. Struggling With Sleeping Or Eating
Another sign to watch out for is your child struggling with sleeping and eating at home. This could be a sign that all's not well at school and school work.
Children tend to look for validation from parents and teachers. So when do not perform well at school, it's disappointing the people they love.
No child would want to upset the adults they look up to. This can lead to a sense of personal disappointment, which will affect their behaviour at home.
If you see kids not eating or sleeping properly, or appear withdrawn. There's something wrong.
While it's one thing to get low marks because you didn't study, it's another when the child has put in the effort but isn't achieving desired results.
This could hint at learning disorders in children as they may be unable to understand certain subjects because of pre-existing conditions that they and you, both, aren't aware of.
3. Your Child's Teacher Expresses Concern
Teachers spend a good amount of time with children and if they find something is out of place, parents need to listen to them carefully.
From behavioural change to attitude problems, your child's class teacher will be able to share what they feel is different about your kid.
They are also qualified to understand how children think. If there has been a dip in their academic performance or on the playground, teachers will probably be the best people to tell you about it.
4. Sudden Change In Attitude
If your child fakes an illness every now and then to avoid school or has been misbehaving at school, it's a major concern.
Children can lash out at teachers and study materials they do not understand. This can be referred to as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). In most cases, a child's misbehaviour is a cry for help.
Both parents and teachers need to be patient when it comes to approaching the child to discuss the issue.
The idea is to help them open up and discuss what's troubling them. Do note, this is a game of patience, as well as trial and error. But with some professional help and resilience on your end, you will be able to get to the root cause of the issue.
5. Spending Too Much Time Completing Homework
There is no doubt that the syllabus today is far more complex than what the previous generations have had. There's more to learn and execute, and a competitive world does not make things easier.
But it's also important to balance studies with other activities in life, which relate to academics and leisure.
So, if your child's schedule earmarks two hours every day for homework and studies, you need to ensure that your kid is able to finish the same in the stipulated time.
If they are constantly exceeding that time limit, it's could hint at a problem. Either the school is overburdening your child with homework. Or, there's a possibility that they are not able to finish the same within the given time.
Of course, not every child will take the same amount of time to complete the same task. But if they are constantly exceeding the same, it could point out a lack of focus struggle to understand the learning material.
If necessary, do take a professional opinion. If your child gets diagnosed with learning disorders, treatment should be your next course of action.
Do speak to your school's form teacher and they may be able to engage a child psychologist if your child needs one.
Some kids diagnosed with learning disorders will need an Individualised Education Plan (IEP), and that should make things easier for them. You will automatically witness a change in attitude, which only help their holistic growth including personal and social development.
School can be an easy or complicated experience for children, and kids need support from parents and teachers to make this a happy space.
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