Denial is Detrimental

Said by a father: "You can't be blamed for the fact that your child has a Learning disability, but you CAN certainly be blamed for the fact that you didn't do anything about it....Denial is detrimental to the well being of your offspring." I am surprised, because father's don't like the 'label' so they ignore it, hoping that it will go away. So, while they are ignoring it, the child doesn't get the help they need. Not because they don't have a problem, but because the parent doesn't admit to the problem. Thank goodness my kids communicate their needs pretty clearly and I was able to get help right away. They have bright futures because my ego didn't get the better of me and I never worried about 'what other's will think" about my parenting skills and how "I made them this way". Our family is lucky. God blessed us with a child that had a minor LD 10 years ago. I didn't want to hear it, I didn't want to accept it, and so I went to a counselor to help him and me. She was wonderful, and pretty much said what the father did above. I regained focus. This was not about me or what others think, this was helping my son fulfill his dreams and helping him down this 'new' road. He works harder than most, but he succeeds and I am proud of him. Then God blessed us with another son, also having LD but more severe, two separate problems. It was harder to get him help, harder to find the resources, but we did after a year of being proactive. Since then, he has also succeeded, and continues on his path daily with us supporting him from the sidelines. Our biggest challenge yet was harder to swallow. Another of our children, super smart, off the charts for his grade level and the next one as well....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He has Aspergers. This is also a learning disability, only in the fact that he is unable to be in a regular classroom with regular rules in order to TEACH him. He doesn't understand your facial expressions or the tone of your voice. Only after years of training does he understand just ONE of my voices, and that is panic. He does not have the ability to learn in a regular setting. We had to come to terms with his differences first, and the label that was put on him with that diagnosis, find support for us as well as him, then find a way for him to succeed in school. He is also succeeding. Please, PLEASE use your gut instinct as a parent. Listen to your kids. Get support in your community and school. Don't just assume they will grow out of it, because while you are waiting for this miracle to happen, he struggles daily. Don't bury your head in the sand, because you are forcing him to bury his right beside you.