Have you ever seen those commercials that tell you how you can learn a new language if you only buy their program? For a one-time fee and hundreds of hours of your time, you’ll be speaking Mandarin like it was your native tongue. Or Russian, or German, or any language you have even the most basic remote interest in. It can help you in your working life, looks great on a resume and can really build character.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? Who doesn’t want to be a better, worldlier version of who they are from time to time? Well, as motivational as it might be, it doesn’t work for everyone. The reason not everyone learns a language from software programs is because we’re all engineered to be different and learn at different levels, and a cookie-cutter approach to language learning can leave a lot to be desired.

If this sounds familiar to you, think of the millions of children each year who are trying to earn a standard education from a formula that might not work for them due to a learning disability of some type. Behavioral issues, mental health and emotional problems, physical disabilities and impaired cognitive function can hinder a child in a typical school setting, preventing them from getting the education they need and very well deserve. For these reasons, special education classes were created to help those with learning disabilities. Recently, the technological revolution has helped parents and educators think outside the classroom when it comes to individualized lesson plans.

Because the public school system is already stressed from tax cuts, budget deficits, teacher strikes and more, it’s becoming increasingly difficult for the current educational model to handle children that might require special education. As classroom sizes grow the quality of care tends to decrease, until children with special needs are integrated into a regular classroom and fall behind.

What happens when a child is not able to keep pace with the rest of their class? Let’s take a look.

Special Needs and Self-Esteem

Children are delicate creatures that need love and nourishment in order to grow, much like a plant. You can’t grow a flower overnight; it takes patience and constant attention to achieve the desired results. When a child’s learning needs are brought into the spotlight, the goal is to get them the help they need when they need it, which might require a bit of creative thinking on the part of parents or special education educators. Even with the assistance that makes it possible to learn in their own way, peer pressure and untoward behavior from other students can really take a toll on a child’s self-esteem.

Self-esteem is defined as “confidence in one’s own worth or abilities; self-respect.” Everyone, young and old, deserves the positive reinforcement needed to feel good about themselves but those that fall behind in their school work are often labeled as “lazy,” “incompetent,” or “stupid” by other kids – and sometimes adults. It’s a sad fact of life, but people judge without knowing, and this can create a lifelong confidence issue if not corrected immediately.

Children with special needs are often labeled as being something they’re not without further investigation into their behavior and this can create an environment of erratic behavior or “acting out”, as it were. Some children who encounter lack of encouragement in their schooling can become withdrawn, feel worthless or simply feel like they’re not as good as the “normal” children in their class. Treating children with special needs as being of lower intelligence or just not good enough can wreak havoc on a their developing sense of self.

It’s important to find a learning solution that works for both you and the child, and that might include using resources outside of a traditional classroom, such as online special education tutoring.

Alternative Educational Strategies

With the dot-com revolution at the turn of this century came a new way to use technology – as an educational tool for everyone with access to the internet. Special education tutoring in an online environment was explored and started to explode when people realized there were others in the same boat they were. When you have a child with special needs, it can be frustrating and lonely without a strong source of support, and the internet proved to be able to cater to what was, at the time, a niche market for special education.

Special Education Tutoring Online

Special Education Resource is using the power of technology and modern resources to expand what we know of special education tutoring while making it available for everyone who needs it. Supplemental learning, in addition to classroom teaching, can provide an invaluable tool for educators everywhere while easing the strain on children with special needs and their parents.

We understand that in order for children to succeed in life they need the proper tools, just like when you’re on the job. It’s hard to be a carpenter without a hammer, and it’s hard to learn in an environment that doesn’t allow you to be different, which is why Special Education Resource was created. A label shouldn’t define a child, it simply proves that all children learn differently. Our special education tutors take the curriculum your child is learning in their traditional classroom setting and mold it to their specific learning needs. One-on-one attention is sometimes exactly what a child struggling is looking for, a way to learn that celebrates their special need and educational limits instead of making them feel like it’s their fault for being different.

At Special Education Resource, we know what it’s like to feel alone on the journey to educational success and have created a unique approach to education unlike other learning systems available today. We are the only tutoring organization that is solely dedicated to children with special needs. You might find that having access to special education tutoring when you need it the most might just provide a little ease of mind for both you and your child, and you can rest easy knowing your child’s future is in good hands.

The first step is a free consultation with a special education tutor. If you’re reading this article, chances are you have a ton of unanswered questions pertaining to your child’s needs, their school, behavior challenges and more. Even if it’s decided that special education tutoring isn’t a fit for you and your child at this time, you will still have the ability to get some of your questions answered by an expert.

We all want what’s best for our children, no matter what, and it’s our mission to provide a bright path to learning success for your child.