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Workshop to address learning disabilities
Updated: January 23, 2012 3:32AM
Improving communication between a parent and a child who learns differently is the goal of a free workshop at Golf Middle School.
“Understanding Your Learning Disability/ADHD — a day of empowerment and insight” will be from 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 24 at the school, 9401 Waukegan Road.
The workshop, part of the national Project Eye to Eye program, is for parents and children at least 8 years old.
“The important message for our workshop is to help empower the child and to help them identify with a strength,” said Bari Levin, learning specialist at Golf Middle School. “And for the parents to learn how to talk with their child about their learning disability and/or (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.) And why it is important.
“There’s going to be an art project that the kids will do to help them understand their learning differences. For parents we’ll have an informational discussion on helping your child understand their learning difference.”
The workshop fills a need to help a parent and child communicate more openly about the learning disability or ADHD, Levin explained.
“Once the parent and child feel more comfortable communicating with each other, then they can take that comfort level with communication to school,” she said. “And once they have that open communication with their parents, they can expand that comfort level to speaking with their teacher.”
The second part of the workshop will bring the children back into the room with their parents so they may discuss their projects and come up with questions to ask the panel of college and high school students who learn differently and have succeeded in their studies, Levin said.
“My goal is to improve the comfort level students have talking about the differences,” Levin said.
Email LDempowerment@gmail.com to register.
Go to www.projecteyetoeye.org for more information about the organization.
