One of the most painful experiences as a parent to to see your child suffer. It can be overwhelming when we send them off to school each day only to watch them struggle in an academic environment. There are some really practical steps you can taken if you feel your child is not receiving the support they should in a school environment.

Advocate For Your Child

No one will advocate for your child like you will, and sometimes it pays to be the squeaky wheel. Start by asking a lot of questions. Connect with your child’s teachers. Find out how they are doing in the classroom, both academically and socially and emotionally. Take a long look at their grades, find out what their teacher believes their strengths and weaknesses to be. Talk with the school counselor and start asking about what is being done to help your child.

Understand the School System

Having a base knowledge of how public or private schools work can be so beneficial. Do you know that in most public schools they won’t flag your child as a struggling student unless they test at least 2 years below grade level in a subject? I don’t know about you, but I didn’t want my child to fall 2 years behind before we started to address some of their needs and issues. Understand your rights and what your school or district will or won’t do for you. Ask for assessments and what the school needs to start putting accommodations in place.

Outside Testing

Each state is different, but many of them will not test for dyslexia or other learning specific issues in school. You may find yourself at an impasse and need to find testing outside of the school, so that you can take a report back to the school and have legal access to accommodations or 504 plans to help support your child. Do some research in your community and figure out where you can get your child tested or screened. Make sure they are going through a formal assessment and will come out with the appropriate documentation needed to take back to the school.

Then go back and advocate again! Trust your parent intuition or instincts, no one knows your child like you do. If something seems off, follow your gut and follow up!

If you have more questions or to schedule a free reading consultation or a formal reading assessment today head to https://www.thebrainbreakthrough.com/contact-us/

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How Can I Help My Child Read?

The last few years have impacted everyone, and especially our kids. As a result of the pandemic we are seeing more and more children struggling with anxiety and learning, if this is you, you are not alone! So many kids need help with reading.

Recently I have had more and more parents reach out with concerns that their child is struggling with reading or comprehension. They aren’t sure if their child is behind because of the pandemic or if it’s due to their anxiety or if there is an underlying issue causing the struggle. Honestly, it could be all 3 of these things or many more reasons. Either way there are some really practical things you can do to support your struggling reader right now.

What Can You Do?

First, grow their love for books.

Just because reading may be difficult it does mean that you can’t purposely grow their love for books. Read out loud to your child or introduce them to the world of audio books. Most local libraries have tons of audio books that kids can download and enjoy. There is so much benefit to “reading with our ears”. Audio books expose kids to different types of literature and vocabulary. They improve sentence structure and fluency in writing and can foster a love for books.  Check out your local library or audible to learn more https://www.audible.com/ep/kids-audiobooks

Second, break reading into smaller chunks.

Kids who are struggling with reading can easily get overwhelmed when they see pages full of text. Help your child break their reading into smaller pieces. Take turns reading sentences or paragraphs to each other. Encourage them to take breaks. Be aware that reading for struggling readers can be exhausting, so frequent breaks may be needed.

Third, start looking into assessments.

Ask your school what kind of reading assessments they have done with your child. Reach out to a local learning center and see if they have any free assessments that might give you a better idea of what is going on. Schedule a free consultation with us to evaluate your child’s reading level. We are thrilled to announce that we are now offering standardized reading assessments. These assessments focus in on your child’s strengths and weaknesses and provide you with formal documentation to take to your school for support and accommodations as needed. 

Don’t give up! No one will advocate for your child like you do, so start asking those questions!

Feel free to reach-out to us today for more information on how to support your child or to schedule a free consultation with The Brain Breakthrough today! https://www.thebrainbreakthrough.com/contact-us/

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3 reasons people get anxious about reading- and how to help!

When I want to unwind I read, but for many people reading is anything but relaxing. It actually stresses them out. Even just thinking about reading can be overwhelming or cause anxiety. But why? Why does reading cause anxiety in so many people?

1.Losing your place on the page

Inefficient readers often lose their spot on the page. This can make reading not only stressful, but extremely time consuming and exhausting. When a person has to work hard to not lose their spot on the page, they often struggle with comprehending the text they are reading. Their brain is so focused on tracking that it doesn’t have the capacity to also comprehend at the same time. 

Possible solution: Use a reading tracker such as a ruler or piece of paper or reading strips (you can find them on Amazon) to help guide you as a read. These make it easier to not lose your spot and help you to focus on a few words at a time.

2.Struggles with vocabulary

People who don’t read often because it’s not enjoyable can get frustrated when they             come across words or vocabulary that they just don’t know. Unfortunately, the less they read the less exposure they will have to new vocabulary and then it just becomes a cycle of frustration. 

Possible solution: Audio books are a fantastic way to increase people’s exposure and use of new vocabulary and word choice! Check out your local library for audio books or find an audiobook company online. 

   3.Thinking about past failures

          If reading has been a struggle in the past, oftentimes these memories can be one of the biggest sources of anxiety. Maybe you are an adult who remembers being laughed at when you read something out loud in class. Or a child who is always the last one done with their assignments because it takes them so long to read. Sometimes just the thought of having to sit down and read something can cause a person’s anxiety to sky rocket and their brain to shut down, which only makes reading even harder.

Possible solution: At The Brain Breakthrough we help make reading easier for inefficient readers. We work with the body to create new neural pathways and calm the anxiety in the body down. Schedule a free consultation in person or online today! 

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 Anxiety in Teenagers

According to the National Institute of Health, nearly 1 in 3 adolescents ages 13-18 are struggling with anxiety today. As a parent of a teenager I have seen more anxiety enter our home and impact my child more than I would like to admit and many times have felt at a loss to know how to support my own child.  

What does anxiety look like?

The impact of anxiety on a teen can look different from person to person and just because your teenager may not experience anxiety like you do, doesn’t mean they aren’t experiencing it. Below are some warning signs that your teen may be struggling with anxiety.

1. Shutting down- Oftentimes a change in “normal” behavior can be a sign of anxiety. This may look like spending hours alone in their room or disengaging from family connection or conversation. It may also look like disconnecting from friends and things they love in their life.
2. Procrastination- If you have a kid who struggles with major procrastination in regards to school or social situations or commitments, anxiety is often at the root of the problem. Maybe school feels too hard or they worry they will not be successful, so they procrastinate. Teens often worry about what others will think of them, so rather than following through with their commitments they just freeze and fall further behind.
3. Big Emotions- Anxiety can also trigger big emotions in kids, whether is yelling, fighting back, lots of tears, or extreme sadness. So many times, the behavior of our children is trying to tell us something, and many times it’s that they don’t have the tools to handle the situation they are facing. They don’t know how to deal with their anxiety and emotions, they need help figuring it out!

What Can you do?

One of the best things you can do for a teenager struggling with anxiety is to simply validate what they are feeling. Help them to understand what anxiety looks like in themselves and then give them a few tools to help them begin to manage their anxiety. Encourage them to use grounding techniques when they feel the anxiety start to come on (engage their 5 senses). Encourage them to move their bodies, have a good cry, or a deep belly laugh to release some of the tension in their bodies. Have conversations around what triggers their anxiety and brainstorm ways that they can calm themselves down the next time they feel anxiety starting to take over.

Most of all just be there. Acknowledge the anxiety and let them know they are not alone! We work with kids and adults who struggle with anxiety. Schedule a free consolation today to learn how Brain Breakthrough Therapy can help ease anxiety in a matter of days! 

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What is Resiliency?

Resilience is the ability to handle the hard things that come our way, the ability to move through the hard thing and not get stuck. 2020 knocked many of us to the ground, but life will always throw difficult curve balls and difficult situations at us, resiliency is the ability to bounce back after we get knocked down. We may not have the power to stop a difficult situation from happening, but we can learn ways to increase our ability to endure difficult situations. 

Resiliency and Learning Differences 

People with learning differences  face hardships and traumatic situations each day. Research tells us that people with learning differences often struggle with high levels of stress, social settings, anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem at far higher rates than peers without learning differences. Frequently these experiences “stick” with people as they grow and often shape how they view themselves and the world around them.  

However, research also tells us that people with learning differences also display high levels of resilience, it’s what helps them survive each day. Their ability to adapt to new and difficult situations is a skill that is often used in every area of life.  We know that having learning differences can be extremely tough, no matter the severity or type. So how do we grow resiliency in ourselves, our kids, and our families who are struggling with learning differences?

Growing Resilience in Kids 

Encourage Connection-One of the best ways to grow resilience in children is through connection. Kids thrive when they are connected to at least one loving and supportive adult. Find a time once or twice a week purposely connect with your child. Step into their world, play a game they want to play, learn to support them in their hobby, make the space to listen to whatever is on their mind. As they grow, encourage them to build relationships with other supportive people in their life (teachers, friends, mentors) etc.. 

Encourage Self-Advocacy-It can be hard at times for kids with learning differences to speak up in situations and advocate for their needs. It can feel overwhelming, scary, and hard to be “different”. Provide the space for your child to share these difficulties with you. Practice some of these conversations at home, help your child write an email advocating for their needs if that is easier, and help your child figure out what they need and how to ask for it. 

Growing Resilience in Adults 

Encourage Connection– Just like kids, resiliency grows in adults through connection. Finding a space where you can share your difficulties and feel supported is very important. Connecting with others who understand the struggles you face and can let you know you are not alone can be life changing. 

Take Care of Yourself- Another important part of building resiliency is taking care of yourself. Get sleep, move your body, talk to a therapist, have a good cry, do whatever you and your body needs in order to have the energy to bounce back. 

Moving Forward

Resilience isn’t just something you have or don’t have, it can be grown and learned! If you are a parent looking for more tips on how to grow resiliency in your family, check out www.actionparenting.org for more resources and online classes. To learn more about how Brain Breakthrough Therapy can help with anxiety and learning difficulties, schedule a free consultation today! 

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