If you have a child with a learning disability, you know how difficult it can be to watch them struggle. Luckily, there are things you can do to help them. We've got five tips to help you turn, "This is too hard!" into "I'm so smart!"

1. Remind them that even very smart kids can have a learning disability; it's not necessary an indication of intelligence. Explain that Albert Einstein had ADHD and Thomas Edison had dyslexia and look how brilliant they were!
2. Enroll them in personal brain training. Most learning disabilities are due to weak cognitive skills. If weak cognitive skills are, indeed, causing your child to struggle, that's actually good news because there is something you can do about it: weak skills can be strengthened. One-on-one brain training provides a way to strengthen the core skills the brain uses to think and perform. And because every brain training program is customized, even extremely smart kids can benefit from brain training. Workout sessions are customized to meet the individual objectives, and strengthen weak skills—unique to each client. And because workouts consist of game-like mental exercises, clients of all ages typically enjoy the experience.

3. Make decisions based on facts, not assumptions. Many parents mistakenly believe that learning disabilities, such as dyslexia, are a lifelong label, or that some kids are genetically destined to always be bad at math. These are myths that can keep parents from seeking out help.
4. Don't give up! Tutoring is a great solution when there is an identifiable, external reason that a student did not grasp classroom content the first time it was presented in class. Perhaps a child was sick or on vacation, or a relocation in the middle of the school year created a gap in curriculum. It's also possible that something (like an extended illness or injury) impacted the consistent delivery of material. The point is, when something has interfered with the delivery of content to your child, hiring a tutor to reteach that content makes sense. On the other hand, brain training does not reteach missed content, but instead exercises and strengthens the basic skills the brain uses to think, learn, and perform. In other words, brain training improves the way the brain grasps information the first time it is presented. So, if your child is struggling in more than one class, or struggling year after year, weak cognitive skills may be to blame. And if they are, brain training can strengthen those skills.
5. Start with baby steps. You don't need to figure everything out at once. Begin by taking one or two small actions to get the ball rolling. Talk to your child's teacher about specific issues your child displays, such as speaking out of turn, difficulty staying organized or taking longer than most students to complete tests. Call a one-on-one brain training center to schedule a cognitive skills assessment. The assessment will provide a detailed look at your child's individual cognitive strengths and weaknesses, and will give you invaluable information you need in order to decide on the next best step to help your child.

LearningRx Cedar Rapids North brain training center provides one-on-one training programs that consist of game-like mental challenges tailored to each student's unique needs. Our programs focus on strengthening seven underlying skills needed for cognitive ability and learningLearn more at: www.learningrx.com/cedar-rapids-north.