Back-to-School Tips for Students with Learning Disabilities
As summer comes to an end and the new school year approaches, many parents are looking for ways to help their children feel prepared, confident, and ready for the year ahead. They may be shopping for school supplies, organizing schedules, and preparing their child for a new teacher, classroom, and routine. Yet for parents of children with learning disabilities, back-to-school preparation involves much more than stocking up on supplies and setting schedules. For families in New York City and New Jersey, finding the right academic and executive functioning support can be an important part of preparing for the new school year.
Students with learning disabilities are bright, capable learners who benefit from specialized instruction and support tailored to their individual strengths and needs.
If your child has dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, autism, processing challenges, or executive functioning difficulties, the start of a new school year is an ideal time to seek the tools, strategies, and support they need to feel confident and succeed.
What Are Learning Disabilities?
Learning disabilities are neurological differences that affect how an individual learns, processes, stores, or retrieves information. Learning disabilities can affect skills such as reading, spelling, writing, math, organization, and memory.
Common learning disabilities include:
Dyslexia
Dyslexia typically affects reading and language processing. Students with dyslexia often have difficulty with decoding words, reading fluency, spelling, and reading comprehension.
Dysgraphia
Dysgraphia affects a student’s writing skills. Students with dysgraphia often struggle with organizing their thoughts, forming letters properly, handwriting, spelling, or expressing their ideas in writing.
Students with dysgraphia may benefit from specialized writing instruction and strategies that help them organize their thoughts and express their ideas more effectively. Learn more at Why Smart Kids Struggle with Writing and How Writing Tutoring Helps.
Dyscalculia
Dyscalculia affects a student’s ability to understand math concepts. Students with dyscalculia may have difficulty with number sense, math facts, or word problem solving.
Learn more about the signs and symptoms of dyscalculia in children at What Is Dyscalculia? Signs, Symptoms & Treatment for Children – EBL Coaching.
Students may also struggle with:
Executive Functioning Challenges
Executive functioning skills help students plan, organize, manage time, initiate tasks, retain information, and finish homework assignments.
Many students with learning disabilities also struggle with executive functioning skills, including organization, time management, task initiation, and completing assignments. Learn more about the executive functioning skills students need for the school year at Executive Functioning Skills Every Student Needs This School Year – EBL Coaching.
10 Back-to-School Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities
What are some strategies that can help your child with a learning disability start the school year strong?
1. Review Last Year’s Challenges
You can help your child start the school year on a positive note by reflecting on strategies that worked and did not work for them in the past.
Ask yourself questions such as:
- Which subjects were easiest for your child?
- Which homework assignments created frustration for them?
- Did homework take them longer to complete than expected?
- Did they struggle with organization?
- Did they need frequent reminders to stay on task?
Understanding what did or did not work in the past can help you create a better plan for your child for the new year.
2. Create an Organized Homework System
Many students with learning disabilities struggle with managing their assignments and overall workload.
Before the school year starts, help your child develop systems for:
- Recording homework assignments
- Organizing their folders and binders
- Breaking large tasks into smaller steps
- Tracking assignment and project deadlines
- Packing the materials they’ll need for the next day
The goal is to help your child become more independent and gradually transfer responsibility from you to your child.
3. Create Consistent Routines
Summer often brings a more relaxed schedule with fewer routines and expectations. However, many children with learning disabilities benefit from the consistency and predictability of a regular routine.
Set up an after-school routine for your child before the school year starts, which may look like the following:
- Take a short break after school
- Review assignments that need to be completed
- Prioritize tasks and create an order for completing them
- Break down homework in manageable chunks
- Prepare materials for the next day
A consistent schedule can help your child feel more prepared, reduce stress, and know what to expect each day.
4. Communicate With Your Child’s Teacher Early
Try to set up a line of communication with your child’s teacher early in the school year. Don’t wait until your child starts to struggle to reach out; it’s always better to be proactive early on than reactive once the challenges become more severe.
Setting a communication plan early with your child’s teacher can help them understand your child’s strengths, challenges, and learning needs.
Set up a meeting and share helpful information like:
- Strategies that have worked well in previous years
- Accommodations that have been effective
- Areas where your child needs continued support
- Ways your child learns best
Whether your child attends a public, private, or specialized school in New York City or New Jersey, establishing clear communication with their school team can help ensure everyone understands how to support their learning needs.
5. Teach Self-Advocacy Skills
As students move through school, it’s important that they become active participants in their education and learn to advocate for themselves, especially if they have a learning disability.
To help them advocate for themselves, teach your child how to:
- Ask questions when they are unclear
- Request clarification on concepts or directions
- Use accommodations effectively
- Communicate their learning preferences
Self-advocacy is an important skill for students to develop before they finish high school and move on to college and adulthood.
6. Focus on Strengths, Not Just Challenges
Children with learning disabilities often notice that a lot of attention is focused on the areas where they struggle. Yet it’s just as important to recognize and celebrate their strengths, talents, and unique abilities.
Students with learning disabilities may excel in areas such as:
- Creativity
- Innovative problem solving
- Big-picture thinking
- Storytelling
- Visual reasoning
- Coming up with unique solutions
Helping your child become confident and motivated can play a significant role in their long-term success.
7. Build Strong Study Skills
Students with learning disabilities often need explicit instruction on how to develop effective study skills.
Helpful study skills strategies may include:
- Using graphic organizers before writing
- Creating visual study guides
- Learning strategies for retaining information
- Breaking studying into shorter blocks
- Developing organizational strategies
Effective study skills can be learned and strengthened, and they become increasingly important as students advance through school.
8. Monitor Homework Without Taking Over
When a child has a learning disability, their parent often becomes their “homework manager” to help ensure they complete their assignments effectively. However, the goal is to gradually build your child’s confidence and independence so they can take increasing responsibility for managing their homework as they get older and progress through school.
Instead of asking questions like:
“Did you finish your homework?”
Try asking:
“Do you have plan for completing your homework assignments tonight?”
Aim to help them become more independent rather than being dependent on you.
9. Look Out for Signs Your Child Needs Additional Support
If your child continues to struggle despite receiving support at home, it may be time to consider specialized tutoring. For families in NYC and New Jersey, working with a local tutoring provider who understands learning disabilities can provide your child with individualized academic and executive functioning support.
Some signs that suggest they may need additional support include:
- Homework takes them much longer than expected to complete
- Grades do not reflect their effort
- Your child avoids certain skills and subjects
- Your child becomes easily frustrated or overwhelmed with academic work
- Your child frequently forgets to turn in their assignments
- Your child needs constant reminders to start their homework or stay on task to complete it
- Your child lacks confidence in their abilities
Seeking the right support early can prevent small challenges from turning into larger struggles. Learn more about the signs your child may benefit from tutoring at 7 Signs Your Child Needs a Tutor: How to Know When to Get Help – EBL Coaching.
10. Help Your Child Start the Year with Confidence
The first few weeks of school can set the tone for the year ahead, so help your child start the school year feeling confident, supported, and ready to learn.
Encourage your child to focus on:
- Progress and effort, not perfection
- Building effective habits
- Asking for help when needed
- Celebrating small successes
Positive, encouraging language can make a big difference in your child’s performance.
Learning Disability Tutoring in NYC and New Jersey
EBL Coaching provides individualized tutoring and academic support to students with learning disabilities throughout New York City and New Jersey. Our individualized tutoring programs help students develop the skills they need to become more confident, independent learners.
We help students with:
- Dyslexia
- Dysgraphia
- Dyscalculia
- ADHD
- Autism
- Executive functioning challenges
- Reading difficulties
- Writing challenges
- Math struggles
- Study skills difficulties
We don’t just focus on homework help; we teach students the skills they need for success across all subjects.
Through one-on-one instruction, students in New York City and New Jersey receive individualized strategies tailored to each student’s learning profile, academic needs, and goals.
EBL Coaching works with families throughout New York City and New Jersey to provide individualized tutoring and executive functioning support for students with learning disabilities and other specialized learning needs.
Where does EBL Coaching provide tutoring?
EBL Coaching provides one-on-one academic tutoring and executive functioning coaching to students in New York City, New Jersey, and surrounding areas. Programs are tailored to each student’s learning profile, academic needs, and goals.
Academic Support for Students with Learning Disabilities in NYC and NJ
Finding the right academic support can make a significant difference for students with learning disabilities. EBL Coaching works with families throughout New York City and New Jersey to provide individualized tutoring and executive functioning coaching to students who learn differently.
Our programs can support students with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, reading difficulties, writing challenges, math struggles, and study skills difficulties.
Whether your child needs support with specific academic skills, homework management, or executive functioning, our one-on-one approach is designed to build both skills and confidence.
Closing Thoughts
A new school year is a great opportunity for students with learning disabilities to strengthen their academic skills, develop confidence, and apply strategies that work for them.
At EBL Coaching, we help students in NYC and NJ build the academic and executive functioning skills they need to thrive in school and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions About Learning Disabilities and Back-to-School Success
What are signs my child may have a learning disability?
There are several signs that may indicate your child has a learning disability. These signs can include challenges with reading, spelling, writing, math, organization, memory, completing homework assignments, or struggling in school despite putting in consistent effort.
Does having a learning disability mean my child is not smart?
Absolutely not! Learning disabilities are not related to intelligence. In fact, many students with learning disabilities have average or above average intelligence, but need specialized approaches to learning.
Should my child receive tutoring if they have a learning disability?
Many students with learning disabilities benefit from specialized one-on-one tutoring that focuses on academic remediation and skills development, not just homework help. The right support can help students with learning disabilities improve their academic skills while becoming more confident and independent learners.
What is the difference between tutoring and executive functioning coaching?
Tutoring typically focuses on academic subjects, such as reading, spelling, writing, or math. Executive functioning coaching focuses on skills such as organization, planning, time management, task initiation, and finishing assignments.
Many students benefit from a combination of both academic skills tutoring and executive functioning coaching.
When should parents seek help?
Don’t wait until your child is struggling significantly before reaching out for support. If your child is consistently struggling, frustrated, overwhelmed, or losing confidence and motivation, early support can help them build their skills and develop effective strategies before these challenges increase.
How can I help my child with a learning disability become more independent?
You can help your child become more independent by gradually transferring responsibility from you to them. Teach your child systems for organization, planning, problem solving, and homework completion and give them the opportunity to practice managing their own responsibilities.
Dr. Emily Levy, the founder and director of EBL Coaching, has helped thousands of students with specialized learning needs build their academic skills over the past twenty years. She is the author of the Strategies do Study Success student workbook series, the Flags and Stars Orton Gillingham student workbook program, and the Flags and Stars Multi-Sensory Math student workbook series. She speaks nationally at educational conferences and frequently appears on podcasts as an educational expert. She has also been featured in publications including Newsweek, Autism Advocate Parenting Magazine, Epoch Times, and Macaroni Kids.