My 9-year-old son has a learning disability that requires a lot of one-on-one teaching. I have tried implementing a lot of different reading programs, but he just seems to find it hard to comprehend.

There are many different learning disabilities that children struggle with, and your pediatrician might be able to give you some advice as to how to best work with your son’s specific disability and what to expect as far as results go. Another source of information for you might be your local college or university. Many universities have in-house child development labs that diagnose and treat learning disabilities. Call their child development departments and ask if they have diagnostic labs AND treatment facilities. If you have a children’s hospital in your area, they also have many diagnostic labs and treatment centers. Then when you have as many answers as you can get, you’ll know what the expectations are and how to proceed in helping him.

For many disabilities, one-on-one teaching is the best way to keep their attention and make progress. I know in my school we have had tremendous success using a Phonics reading kit with mildly Autistic children. Their retention and comprehension has been remarkable. It’s easy to understand for even very young children and very parent friendly.