As both a Learning Specialist and a former Clinical Psychotherapist I often talk about how learning struggles are not just academic in nature. when children struggle with learning for years on end, deep psychological issues set in. Some of the lasting effects this causes later in adults include:

Low self-esteem
Depression and anxiety
Fear of failure
Withdrawn, rebellious, or mistrusting personality style
Lack of motivation
Work underperformance
Frequent job changes

As I explain to parents, when children struggle day in and day out at school, their self concept develops with a sense of deficiency at its core. Seldom do kids in a prolonged state of school difficulty move onto adulthood feeling highly confident and competent as people. As adults, these individuals often conceal their feelings of deficiency and self-doubt from others. In situations such as at work when workplace trainings occur, the post traumatic stress of their grade school years surfaces and anxiety and worry flood them. School struggles last a lifetime and affect adults for years to come.

At my talks I start by asking “who in the room felt excited to go to school each day? Who felt confident and prepared when the teacher passed out tests or assignments? Who always knew that bringing home report cards would mean hugs, praise and rewards from parents? Who felt it was easy to get homework done and turned in on time? Who felt that school built up their confidence and that the classroom teacher admired their brightness? People who raised their hands in response to these questions heard from me that they were almost certainly traditional learners. “You escaped the scarring experience that struggling students go through. You don’t know how lucky you are” I say to them.

At this point in my talk I then ask “who in the room hated Sunday nights because it meant going back to school Monday morning? Who felt gripped by fear when tests were handed out? Who was afraid of being called on during class? Who dreaded knowing that report cards would soon be sent home and that they would be met with frustration, anger and perhaps ridicule by parents? Who hated nightly homework? Who felt that the school teacher believed they were lazy, dumb or unmotivated? Who wished they could be homeschooled or never have to attend school at all? Who compared themselves to others in the class and felt everyone was smarter or more gifted? “Those of you who have raised your hands in response to these questions very likely have nontraditional OptiKodes and no one knew how to match you with the learning methods that would have ignited success. It’s been a lifelong struggle I know” I tell them.

I go on to share with parents how to link their child’s OptiKode Learning Style to the right tools and methods at home. I assure them that when they help their child learn according to the Dominant 3 pathways in their OptiKode, their child will feel:

Resourceful and motivated
Engaged and focused
Regulated and energized
Bright and gifted
Successful at learning

For over 18 years OptiKodes have been bringing out the natural born learner in struggling learners and has been restoring families’ wellbeing and hope.