Not keeping up at school and feeling like you aren’t able to do what the other kids can do is soul-destroying for young people. It’s also incredibly hard for those who care for them, most obviously parents and caregivers, but also educators who are in the lives of kids who struggle to learn to read, spell and do maths.

In this episode, we sit down with Kirrilie Smout, in our minds, one of Australia’s leading clinical child/adolescent psychologists and the director of Developing Minds. With the benefit of Kirrilie’s down-to-earth style, well-researched opinions, years of experience and incredible humanity, we delve into a range of issues that clutter the already complex landscape of being a kid with learning difficulties or parenting/teaching one.

One of Kirrilie’s books “When Life Sucks for Kids” is the centerpiece for this episode and sets us off on an incredibly interesting conversation about all sorts of stuff, including:

• The very real correlation between having an SLD and mental health difficulties – is it fate that a kid with SLDs will have an associated mental health problem?
• How to talk with young people about the challenges and strengths that come with an SLD and how to remain believable when trying to keep kids buoyant
• Fostering hope for the future but also being frank and honest about the challenges ahead
• Understanding mood, its impact on learning and cleverly helping kids to regulate mood to best set them up for work that is going to be challenging (like homework)
• Talking to kids about the importance of hard work and struggle in building a strong and flexible brain
• The importance of peer-connection for kids with learning difficulties and balancing homework and a social life
• What to consider when deciding on whether to use tough-love or to back off for a bit – balancing empathy and toughness
• School refusal – the slippery slope
• The mental health implications of parenting a kid who will at times feel hopeless, helpless and like it’s all too hard.

Where to get some help

Calm Kid Central is a wonderful resource that had been developed by Kirrilie and the staff at Developing Minds. It contains over 25 interactive and animated educational lessons for children to learn to: cope with frustration, manage anxiety, improve peer relationships, manage conflict constructively, help themselves get to sleep, use calm words, re-direct their attention onto positive topics, ask for help – and many more.

Kid’s Helpline 1800 55 1800 can also be a wonderful help when young people just need someone to talk to – any time, for any reason.

Full show notes available at https://dyscastia.com/episodes/episode-10-mental-health-and-specific-learning-difficulties/