Sally was not totally surprised when Mrs. Brooks, her son Henry's Grade 2 teacher, called to make an appointment to discuss the boy's academic achievement. Since he entered kindergarten, Sally had been concerned that Henry, a seemingly bright child, was performing poorly in school.

As it turned out, Mrs. Brooks shared Sally's concern. According to the teacher, Henry, although a good talker, was experiencing significant difficulty learning to read. Meanwhile, his math results were uneven. The seven-year-old seemed to grasp new mathematical concepts easily. However, the next day, he seemed to have forgotten what he learned.

The uneven performance indicated to Mrs. Brooks that Henry might have learning disabilities.

It's natural for any parent receiving the news that a child may be learning disabled to feel overwhelmed. Although the standard definition -- significant difficulty in acquiring listening, speaking, reasoning and mathematical abilities, there is no simple cause or quick cure for learning disabilities. What's more, it's a fact that children with learning disabilities are more prone than other children to exhibit behavioral problems and to drop out of school.

Yet much can be done to avert such a negative outcome. With early intervention, remedial help and perseverance, a child with learning disabilities can achieve his or her life's goals.

It was with the latter end in mind that Henry's mother took Mrs. Brooks advice and made arrangements to have the boy assessed by a mutli-disciplinary team at a child development clinic. With the test results, Sally, in cooperation with clinic staff and school administrators, will be able to chart an appropriate educational program. Sally knows the road ahead will not always be easy for Henry or her. However, she also believes that with effort, guidance and love, she can help her boy who learns differently achieve a full and rich life.

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