Dealing with children who have learning disabilities can be quite a challenge. But there are different ways in which parents, teachers, and even school administrators can assist and support them.
In this episode, I spoke with Laura Reber, a school psychologist and the founder of Progress Parade, about the various ways people with learning disabilities can cope and thrive. She explains why early intervention and a proper professional diagnosis are so important, and she challenges the current academic system to replace punitive discipline methods with more positive and encouraging approaches. Stay tuned to learn more!
“I think what benefits diverse learners often does benefit all students.” – Laura Reber
“We all have strengths and weaknesses to our personalities, whether or not we meet diagnostic criteria for a disability.” – Laura Reber
“Some people find the disability labels empowering. And they find that it helps them find community and advocate for themselves and understand themselves. If you find it to be disempowering, or something that doesn’t help you, it also doesn’t have to be the end all be all, you know, you get some say in that.” – Laura Reber
“Whatever you are dealing with does not have to be your identity.” – Melanie Lockert
What You Will Learn From This Episode
- What is a learning disability and how it is defined
- The different factors considered in diagnosing learning disabilities
- Why early intervention is important
- What are the first steps you can take if your child has a learning disability
- What are the difficulties that students with ADHD and autism face in today’s school system
- How teachers and school administrators can help with the mental well-being of students with non-traditional learning abilities
- Encouraging positive behavior versus giving punishment – which is more effective
- Dealing with a learning disability diagnosis – what are the ways to cope
- What parents can do to help their children succeed if they have a learning disability
- What are the wealth implications for parents who may be required to pay for specific learning disability services or assistance
About Laura Reber:
Laura Reber is a school psychologist and founder of Progress Parade. At Progress Parade, they know what makes you different makes you strong. They provide 1:1 online tutoring with hand-picked specialists to students with academic needs, ADHD, learning disabilities, autism, and social-emotional challenges. Laura works with a team of school psychologists and specialized teachers to create personalized approaches for homework support, academic intervention, homeschooling, unschooling, and more.
Laura holds a BS in Psychology and graduated as valedictorian from Truman State University before completing her graduate degree in School Psychology from Illinois State University with a 4.0 grade point average. She’s a bit of a smarty-pants, really. After working as a school psychologist for over a decade, Laura founded Progress Parade to complement her celebrated team at Chicago Home Tutor. Laura loves to see how well students respond to individual instruction that is designed 100% with their needs in mind.
Resources:
Connect with Laura
- Website – Progress Parade
- Facebook – Progress Parade
- Twitter – Progress Parade
- Instagram – Progress Parade
- LinkedIn – Progress Parade
Connect with Melanie
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