It can be helpful for struggling children and teens to identify good role models who have faced difficulties similar to their own struggles and used their talents and abilities to achieve notable accomplishments.

Identify Known Role Models

It can be helpful to start with people your child knows and adores.

• Parents
• Grandparents
• Aunts and Uncles
• Successful family friends
• Teachers

Have your child talk with (or even interview) these individuals they know who have struggled but achieved some measure of success.  This not only helps your child but it also helps these individuals (its a win-win!).

Identify Famous Role Models

There are many famous individuals with learning and attention challenges who have achieved great things.  To find information and inspiration about heroes who faced enormous learning and attention difficulties but used their talents and abilities to achieve notable accomplishments, visit the webpage “Famous People with LD and ADHD” on the Great School’s website (formerly Schwabb Learning).

Emphasize Success Despite Struggles

As you talk about these individuals with your child, it is important to emphasize their ability to use their strengths and talents to achieve success despite their struggles.  It may be helpful to identify “mirror” strengths related to your child’s struggles.  For example, Thomas Edison is an individual who used the mirror strength of curiosity (impulsivity) to achieve much success.  At the age of 6, he was doing an experiment in the family barn and burned it to the ground.  Despite severe punishment for his impulsivity, Edison went on to use his curiosity to invent the light bulb and 1300 other things.

Once your child sees that there is a positive side to attention or learning challenges, then she can start to think about how she might also achieve success.  With the understanding and acceptance of her difficulties, a child frequently becomes less hard on herself emotionally and over time becomes tougher on herself to accomplish her own specific goals.

Recognize Your Child’s Talents and Abilities

In my next article, I suggest ways you can start to help your child identify her talents and abilities.

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(c) 2009- 2012, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.