March 27, 2009

Enabling Learning Disabled parents

Tharini had mentioned March to be a learning disabilities month in the blog world .


While there is growing awareness of children with learning disabilities, how to assist them, etc, I wonder how it is for parents with learning disability?

I have only questions and doubts. Maybe some one can answer them for me.

Even an average parent is flooded with choice, rebuke and advice. It is a tough role to don. There are lingering doubts.

Parents with learning disabilities would also need to overcome preconceived ideas among other people about their ability to parent. Some may be genuine concerns too.


Of course it depends on the kind and the degree of the disability.

  • Do adults with severe learning disability shy away from having kids?
  • Does the government help in India?
  • Or do such parents rely on the home network for support?
  • As the child grows would the child be more the care giver than receiver? Would that not impact the self worth/ esteem of the parent?
  • Would the situation improve if one of the parents did not have learning issues?

Many dyslexic people have been known to shine in the arts, creativity and lateral thinking. By that logic, they will make unconventional but good parents, won't they?

Also would they be more considerate parents given what they went through in childhood and probably still do?

4 comments:

Choxbox said...

good one art. didn't occur to me at all. hmm..

forrest gump? he did look after his son right? (of course thats fiction).

Tharini said...

That's an intresting perspective Art. Makes me want to read some answers now. Thanks for doing a post.

VJ said...

Hey Art,
that was a totally different perspective..
I want to know the answers as well.

Katy said...

SLD= Specific Learning Disability.

Did you know when you search “SLD Parents,” the only sites listed are for PARENTS that have SLD children. I am a child of an SLD mother. Only those that live with an SLD guardian can understand what that life entitles. The only way I can explain it is that it means having a parent that can act really cool. They are the ones that let you get away with everything. The ones you go to talk about the drama of your life. All your friends want them to be their parents because everyone knows them and likes hanging out at your house. But when your in an argument, their actions are extremely immature.

The thing is, its not their fault, and that is the hardest thing for the child of the SLD parent to understand. Their decisions are irrational. The words they use tend to hurt others, because they say before their mind can process what they are thinking. This leaves the child alone, because they often walk way during the argument and hurting because of what said guardian said.

The worst thing, is knowing they don’t necessarily mean what they said, but at the same time it still hurt. Knowing nothing is going to change and this is how it will always be.

Argument- hurtful words- leaving- alone- repeat.

When looking up Social Skills on a SLD adult certain things stick out. Mood swings, overreaction and focusing on details too much. Then there is the weak memory, and the misreading of information. At least those are the issues that my mother has. As any literature on SLD will tell you, no persons disability is alike Which makes that much harder to find someone that can understand the life of a child of a SLD parent.