The Courage to Learn Differently

The Courage to Learn Differently: Life Stories, Effective Practices, Breakthrough Activities reveals how your child or student with a learning disability has natural strengths and preferred ways of learning that can be just as important for parents and teachers to understand, as the disabilities themselves.

As you follow the life of Matthew Cox, one of the authors (who is learning disabled), you'll learn the many types of social, emotional, and educational challenges that your child or student may face while growing up. Within each chapter, you'll gain communication skills, support tools, and teaching strategies to guide you in helping your child navigate those challenges, in ways that are fully customized to your own child's natural gifts and strengths, including his or her preferred ways to learn.

Eye-opening, step-by-step activities and advice throughout will show you how to help your child or student build the resilience, self-esteem, and self-advocacy skills that will empower your child to better relate to you and others, better learn from you and others, and feel more personally supported throughout his or her childhood and young adulthood.

Skills, tools, and strategies include:

9 Coping With The Early Stages of Your Child's Disability

9 Understanding & Addressing Your Child's Strengths, Temperament and Learning Style

9 Meeting Your Child's Emotional Needs

9 Building Your Child's Self-Esteem

9 Understanding & Helping to Manage Your Child's Stressors

9 Communicating to Earn Your Child's Trust

9 Stepping in as a Step-Parent

9 Effective Discipline and Understanding Your Child's Processing Disorder

9 The Importance of Your Child's Problem-Ownership and Self-Advocacy

9 Dealing With The Inevitable: Times of Emotional Crisis

9 Vocational Counseling Aligned with Your Child's Strengths and Working Style With Tara Holguin-Jones, MA, Special Education Vocational Training and Placement Specialist