Transitioning to middle school can be a terribly stressful period for any child; for kids with learning difficulties diagnosed though, the experience can go from stressful to actually being agonizing. If you wish to help a child better cope with the process, here’s how you go about it.

The first step would be to understand how middle school is actually different from what the child’s experience thus far. Children in middle school have more than one teacher to deal with. Children normally adapt quickly to keeping in mind what each teacher needs and talks like. Kids with learning disabilities will need your help understanding how to deal with this. You need to meet the committee on special education for your school district to get everything properly arranged, perhaps a few months before the child is due in school. Typical of the kind of thing to discuss at these meetings would be how your child could be excused from being timed on quizzes, or how he could be given a permanent seat at the front desk, or could be given a QuickPad portable word processor. If all of this seems a little overwhelming to you, you can find a counselor in your kid’s school, who can understand your child’s needs, and translate them for you to the teachers and the principal.

Once you have done the groundwork to get your child a proper welcome in school, it’s time to help run your child through what is to come. The first thing to do would be to begin talking to the child a few weeks ahead of the first day in school. Every source of teenage anxiety has to do with starting out in middle school – making friends, changing classes, dealing with homework and looking cool enough for everyone else -  will worry kids with learning disabilities far more by a few orders of magnitude. You’ll need to begin discussing strategies by which your child may cope. Your child’s friends in the neighborhood are going to be in the same classroom, and that should be a source of comfort. The main thing is to let your child know that it’s okay to struggle harder with some things than other children. It’s nothing to hide.

Kids with learning disabilities need to know how to take care of themselves. What you’ll need is to introduce your child to the Individualized Education Plan or the IEP that’s been given out, so that he will know exactly what is due under the program, and know how to ask for it himself. For instance, an overworked teacher may forget to give him more time to write something down off the board. He needs to know that it’s okay for him to remind the teacher of his special requirements. While you do need to help your child out, you need to remember that the more a child does for himself, the better it will be for his condition. They call it self-advocacy, and it putss your child into driver’s seat. Any time he complains that the teacher doesn’t seem to really be approachable, you can simply take it up with teacher.

The most important part of smoothing the way for your child would be to keep in constant contact with his teachers. You need to be friendly and open, without being too demanding. Teachers do want to help, you know.

Learning difficulties are also known as learning disorders or disabilities. They are discovered once a child starts schooling and starts experiencing learning troubles. These difficulties are at times referred to as Specific Learning Differences (SPLD) and they occur in different forms. Dyslexia is one of them and it is a condition that refers to difficulties in numeric and literacy. This condition is not only restricted to difficulties but also encompasses abilities as well.

People with dyslexia find trouble skimming and reading becomes a challenge. They may also experience difficulties in motor skills, visual perception, memory and sequential skills. The abilities they may have include creative thinking, excellent visual-spatial skills and an understanding that is intuitive. The other condition that results from learning difficulties is dysphasia, which is associated with clumsiness. Those with it are often disorganized and find it hard to find coordination and balance. These people will also have difficulties in acquiring writing skills and using the keyboard. They also have trouble with pronunciation and find light, noise and touch irritating.

The other defect among learning difficulties is dyscalculia and people with this condition experience difficulties in acquiring arithmetical skills. These people find it hard to understand the number concepts that include their facts and procedures. They are unable to tell time, do simple calculations and lack the estimation power. They also find it hard to tell speed and temperature and this is characterized by use of faulty estimations. The other disorder among the learning difficulties is hyperactivity, which is also referred to as attention deficit disorder (ADD). These people experience a short attention span and have a habit of deviating from the topic of the moment. They find it hard to concentrate for long and they also exhibit poor listening skills. The hyperactive ones are always restless and fidget a lot. They are impulsive and erratic and always do things in haste. These people require high motivation if they are to achieve anything in life. These traits make it difficult for them to learn normally like the others.

People with these learning difficulties are often lacking in confidence since they feel unable to accomplish tasks. Some of the symptoms that characterize these difficulties include difficulties in learning new skills. They may take long to grasp the basics when it comes to driving, reading and writing. They also have a tendency of taking longer to complete the tasks they are presented with. These people may also exhibit gross disorganization in their work and in their lives too. They also lack clarity when it comes to organizing their time and making it to appointments. They may mix up dates due to their difficulties in numbers, as they do not recognize figures. Many of these people have a short memory and remembering events is a great challenge for them. They may get lost as they have trouble following instructions as well as telling directions. However, with guidance and advice, these problems can be overcome and those in charge need to understand such deficits and address them professionally.