Back to school is such a hopeful time, full of backpack and school-supply shopping (my favorite), finding out who your child’s teacher is going to be, classroom friends and the excitement of new skill acquisition. As school gets into the swing of things, it may be less exciting and more anxiety-ridden for students who are struggling academically due to an undiagnosed learning disability or different learning style. Here are some signs parents should look for to gauge your kiddo’s mental health and academic progress and assess learning needs…
A rise in complaints and negative feelings towards school-sometimes kiddo’s aren’t yet capable of putting their exact feelings into words, but will verbalize negative emotions tied to school due to academic struggles
Feeling ill before or after school-tummy aches, headaches, tiredness, unexplained symptoms more so on school days, academic anxiety can cause physical symptoms in children
Crying, refusing to get out of the car at school, asking parent to walk them to class, asking parent to stay with them until they feel settled this is a sign that should not be ignored
Hiding homework, graded school work, backpack or telling parents there is no homework, this is often a tactic to avoid unpleasant feelings of inadequacy measuring up to academic skill benchmarks
Refusing to do homework, refusing to participate in school activities
Declining playdates, birthday party invitations
Withdrawing, seeing less joy and excitement in your child
Telling parents they don’t want to go to school, refusing to attend school
Crying at school and lack of participation in classroom activities
Phone calls, notes from teachers requesting parent meeting
It is NOT my wish for any student to feel this way about school, academics, their own skills and self-esteem. As I write these words tears are streaming down my face because my sweet daughter, Ava experienced all of these in the first grade. I worked sooo hard with her school, teachers, staff and a private child psychologist to understand it. I even asked her school several times for a psychoeducational assessment for dyslexia, but the school refused (illegally). We left the school and started our homeschool journey to create a safe space for her to thrive in and a private diagnosis to better understand how she needed instruction and slowly built her skills, self-esteem and reduced her feelings of anxiety. She is a THRIVING senior in high school who is maintaining great grades, challenging herself with college classes and fully involved in the excitement of back to school, joining sports, clubs, activities and she lets NOTHING stop her from reaching her potential. She has more grit and determination than anyone I know. If your child is struggling, please reach out to My Learning Farm www.mylearningfarm.com. My wish is for EVERY child to THRIVE!
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