How Can You Help Your Child Cope With Learning Disabilities

Studies have shown that up to 40% of the population afflicted with learning disabilities also fall prey to mental health issues. On the other hand, 25 % of the general population is affected with the same.

One of the major causes for learning disability population being more prone could be social issues such as lack of friends and lesser opportunities in life. In case of general population, mental health issues could occur due to medical conditions like epilepsy, hypertension and diabetes.

How Can You Know If Your Child Is Afflicted By It?

Identifying health issues in your child can be challenging, though you can do it by observing the behavioural pattern of your child. You should be have an in-depth understanding of what is good for your child and keep a sharp eye on any relevant changes in their behaviour, the most common being:

• Self afflicting behaviour

• Lack of interest and withdrawal  from usual activities

• Repeating the same task or a particular habit for unusual needs

• Anxious and hyper behaviour

• Fluctuation in their weight, it increasing and decreasing at a very rapid pace

• Aggressive behaviour: physically and verbally

• Fidgeting pattern

• Increased frequency of stomach-ache or headaches

Why Is Mental Health Important?

Encouraging and monitoring the mental health of children is important, especially if the child has special needs. It is vital that children not only develop their skills in order to better understand & express emotions from the time they are 2 year olds.

Children need to know how to cope with unfavourable situations.  The tips below could help you deal with this situation in a better manner:

• Acknowledge And Understand Their Feelings: If you child or an adult begins to weep, let them know that you understand that they are sad and back it by communicating with them in a language that they understand.

• Allow Them To Express: It is important that you let your child understand your emotions and at the same time, provide them with an outlet for expressing their emotions. The best thing to do would be introduce them to a creative field such as music, dancing, painting etc.

• Hone Their Skills: Coax your children to express their skills and express it to them through their communication aids

• Channelize Their Energy:If people express themselves aggressively, it means they are storing energy that can be used positively. Help them channelize this energy positively – you can motivate them to take up sports, playing guitar or banging drum.

• Allow Them To Talk About Themselves:Do not discourage the patient to indulge in some ‘self’ talk. Inis one of the best ways to understand what they are feeling, anything that they want to express. It will also help them vent out their feelings and share their opinion.

• Help Them Cope: It is always a good idea to help your child cope with difficult situation. Help them do deep breathing, introduce them to yoga and make them practice backward counting to deal with the situation better.