If you suspect that your child has a learning difference, or if he has recently been diagnosed with a learning difference, here are some ways to help him understand and overcome his learning difference.

• Share age-appropriate information about your child's learning difference. For example, talk about the fact that a learning difference is what makes it difficult for him to read (or write, or do math)--and stress that there are things he can work on to get better at it. 
• Emphasize that everyone (including you, his teachers, and his siblings) has strengths and weaknesses to work on, just like him.
• Encourage his passions and interests. Listen carefully to see what makes your child light up. It could be baseball, piano, drawing, bikes, or fossils. Create opportunities for him to demonstrate his skills and knowledge. Even a reluctant writer may be drawn in by the chance to create his own web page about his interest. A child who dislikes math may be practicing his math abilities through baseball statistics without recognizing it! By having something he is good at and enjoys, a child with a learning difference feels successful and strong.
• Thomas Edison was right: "Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration." Brainpower isn't decided at birth. It is acquired through hard work and persistence, which anyone is capable of. By reminding your child that intelligence is a matter of motivation, not luck, you empower him to seek success on his own terms.
• Make it clear that there are things he can do to help himself, and that you, his teachers, and others will support him.
• Help him set realistic goals. Goals should be steps to success--small and concrete, so that the process of learning can be celebrated along the way. Learning the multiplication table up to 12x12 is a huge task, but by focusing on one number at a time and working hard to master it before moving on, he can be successful along the way while approaching that final goal.
•  Let him know that, while it can be challenging to have a learning difference at any age, it's especially difficult for a young person, since school demands so many different types of performance. There are many ways to be successful, and as he grows up he will have more freedom to choose the classes and occupations that draw on his strengths.
• Equip him to handle failure. Thomas Edison--who knew something about failure, having worked on thousands of light bulb prototypes before creating one that worked reliably--said, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Encourage your child to learn from what doesn't work and to try something different next time.
• Provide structure through established homework routines and organizational tools.
• Establish a positive relationship with your child's school and teachers.
•  Resist the temptation to intervene the moment your child begins to struggle with a task. Give him a chance to solve the problem on his own--conquering a difficult challenge allows him to experience pride in his achievement and a feeling of competence.
• Above all, show your child that you love and respect him. Let him know that a forgotten assignment or low test grade won't change this--he doesn't need to earn your approval with grades or other measures of success.