East Life Winter 2022

Supporting your child
with a learning difficulty
Teachers are often the first to notice that a child has a
learning disability. However, some children can “mask” their
symptoms in order to fit in at school and the signs can be
more obvious when they are at home.
Recent research conducted by Oxford Home Schooling
revealed that while overseeing their children’s learning
during lockdown, many parents spotted potential signs of
learning difficulties including dyslexia (difficulty reading,
writing and spelling) and dysgraphia (impaired handwriting
or spelling).
To help parents who think their child may have a learning
difficulty, Greg Smith, Head of Operations at Oxford Home
Schooling, has put together a guide on how best to support
your child and what your next steps should be.
1. Get your child diagnosed
If your child’s difficulties are having a significant impact
on their learning, it’s a good idea to have them tested for a
condition and diagnosed. A diagnosis can open the door for
your child to receive appropriate learning support in school.
This includes allowing them extra time in exams and being
supported by a teaching assistant, so it’s a good idea to look
into this as early as possible. If you’ve observed signs that
your child may have a learning difficulty, you should speak
to your GP, who can either make the diagnosis themselves
or refer the child for the appropriate tests.
2. Speak to your GP
Once a child is diagnosed with a learning difficulty, you
should consult your GP again. They will then be able to
recommend and refer you to an appropriate specialist for
support. Specialists can include speech and language
therapists, educational and clinical psychologists and
paediatricians.
3. Make the school aware
Once you have an idea of the areas where your child is
struggling, you will need to make their school and teachers
aware of the situation. This will allow the school to put extra
support in place should your child require it. They will need
time to consider how the condition might affect the child’s
learning and work out how best to adapt their teaching.
4. Talk to others
Many parents find it difficult to process the diagnosis of a
learning difficulty and it can be a challenge to adapt to
your child’s new needs. Don’t be afraid to seek out the
support of other parents who have experienced similar
situations. There are many support groups and forums out
there for advice, and you and your child can even build
new friendships.
5. Support your child
The important thing to remember is that you need to
support your child, whether this is with their learning or
any other aspects of life that they struggle with. Being
diagnosed with a learning difficulty is by no means the end
of the world and children with such conditions go on to
enjoy rich and fulfilling lives. You will need to be patient and
it may be challenging at times but with the correct support
system in place, your child will be fine.
For more information about learning disabilities visit
nhs.uk/conditions/learning-disabilities
For information Oxford Home Schooling visit
oxfordhomeschooling.co.uk
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