Avoiding Labels

Avoiding Labels – Podcast #11

To Label or Not To Label? That is the question.

This podcast discusses whether or not labels are effective and the amazing work from Jan Bedell at Little Giant Steps

Show Notes: Avoiding Labels

It is a very challenging world out there for parents of struggling learners. All types of questions arise like:

Why can’t my child stay focused on his work?
Why can’t she remember from one day to the next? Is she just not paying attention or is there something else at the bottom of this?
Is this a character/behavior issue or is there another reason for this inability to follow directions?
Why is reading, math, spelling and/or writing so hard for her/him?
Why are textures of food such an issue?
Shouldn’t getting dressed in the morning be a little easier? After all it is just a sock!
Do I need to get him/her tested for a learning disability?

There are often many ramifications when a label is given to a child. It will probably become part of the permanent record that follows the individual throughout life. Expectations are often lowered resulting in reduced performance because we often live up to others’ expectations. Labels typically imply there is something wrong and that the person has to live by coping and compensating for a lifetime. A label, more times than not, can result in reduced academic workload that causes the child to get further behind each year. According to the Brain Coach, this is no way to reach one’s full potential in life!

The NeuroDevelopmental Approach takes a different look at the symptoms in the questions listed above. Looking for what causes these challenges is the first step toward finding the way to stimulate the brain so it changes. A changed brain produces changed abilities. Changed abilities causes changed behaviors. Many times labels like dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, dysgraphia, dyscalculia frequently come with a vague list of things that could be tried and often leave parents confused as to what to do next. Sometimes labels come with recommendations for expensive therapies. The “Brain Coach Tip” here is that these type labels can and often should be avoided.

Learn in this podcast about families that had labels like PDD-NOS, Angelman’s Syndrome and Autism but through a different approach, beat the odds. In all these cases, the outcome was totally different from the expectation given with the label. You will also hear about those that didn’t have labels like dyslexia but would have if the parent had taken a different path.

This episode also explores the situations where having a label is advisable or absolutely necessary.