When to Seek Help

If your child struggles in school for any reason, you need to pay close attention. Temporary struggles are inevitable, but if problems persist, you must take preliminary steps to identify the primary causes. Common sense, monitoring your child’s progress and regular communication with the school can often lead to solutions. Most importantly, first talk with your child and your child’s teacher, counselor or advisor. Additional steps may be necessary to explore what is causing your child’s ongoing difficulty. You should first consider the following:

• Have you reviewed past school reports?
• Does testing need to be updated?
• Are there any medical issues affecting your child’s progress?
• Are there any family matters that might be affecting your child?
• Are outside organized activities interfering with school preparation and success?
• Does your child race through work and say it isn’t challenging?
• Does schoolwork/homework take too long to complete and lead to frustration?
• Does your child respond to behavior modification?
• Is there a regular routine and place in your home for homework to be done without distractions?

If you find that none of the above considerations are a factor in your child’s school performance, then you need to seek some type of professional intervention so that proper evaluation and remedial steps can be taken. Immediate action on a parent’s part can prevent a child from further struggles, losing interest in school and positive outside activities, and will enhance self-esteem.