As any parent, teacher, coach or caregiver of a learning disabled child knows, every learning disability has a social component. For more than thirty years, Richard Lavoie has lived with and taught learning disabled children. Here are practical strategies to help learning disabled children ages 6-17 navigate the treacherous social waters of their school, home, and community. Rick examines the special social issues surrounding a wide variety of learning disabilities, including ADD and other attentional disorders, anxiety, paralinguistics, visual-spatial disorders, and executive functioning. Then he provides proven methods and step-by-step instructions for helping the learning disabled child through almost any social situation, including choosing a friend, going on a playdate, conducting a conversation, reading body language, overcoming shyness and low self-esteem, keeping track of belongings, living with siblings and adjusting to new settings and situations. Rick knows about the intensity with which children long for friends and acceptance, the exasperation they can cause in others, and the joy they feel in social connection.
