Nature & nurture go hand in hand. Nature provides your baby with the ability to perceive all five senses.

These “bits” of information are carried by specific pathways to the brain areas designated for processing and storing. However, no one has a perfect brain. Abilities range from strengths to weaknesses. Heredity plays a big role in these differing abilities. Families may have a history of musical talents and a history of reading struggles, despite normal intelligence. But, nurture can impact nature. Science has discovered effective techniques to strengthen the weaker abilities, which results in less struggles with school learning. Nurture can develop stronger pathways. Early identification and treatment can unlock doors to success. You hold the keys. 

What You Can Do

• Trust your instincts – parents often have the feeling something is not quite right before others. 
• Try not to panic – we all have strengths and weaknesses and you are looking for both. Your child is of normal intelligence and may even be gifted, but have trouble learning to read.
• Educate and empower yourself: learn all you can about learning challenges. There are excellent websites, such as that of the National Center for Learning Disabilities www.ncld.org. LD.org , LD online.org, www.interdys.org (specific for reading disabilities- dyslexia )
• Write down your observations of strengths and weaknesses from early years and up to the present. Share with teachers – going into the classroom can make some parents anxious; mail them in; ask teachers what they see. You may not match exactly since home and school environments are different.
•  Seek a comprehensive evaluation from your child’s school or a private evaluation that assesses: cognitive skills, attention, memory, executive function, speech-language, academic achievement and sensorimotor skills (OT). Emphasize the “stronger” players, when explaining to your child.
• Do not discuss LD possibility or have your child read the recommended books until the evaluation establishes there is one. Your child’s challenges may not be so severe; however, don’t ignore challenges that are frustrating, talk about them, tell your child you will help in any way you can and that you will be learning the best ways to do so.
• Develop your child’s strengths in other abilities e.g. music, dance, art, athletics.
  

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