MN Learning

Focus on Strengths, not Weaknesses

At the Midwest Kid’s Fest this past weekend, we were able to speak with a number of parents who have kids that have been diagnosed with Autism, ADD, ADHD, or similar type of situations.  There are a wide range for each of these but often most kids have what is a mild version, meaning, they tend to look and act like everyone else except in some situations.  What is often the case is that these kids are given a label and that label tends to be negative, when in fact, it can be a positive.

ADD and ADHD have gained a lot of attention as some schools sought to stamp out the behavior of some students blamed on these labels.  My personal opinion is that such practices were short sighted and really was not in the best interest of the child.  Both conditions are very beneficial to people when they get into the adult world.  A sales rep with ADHD can make a lot of money because they never stop!  As I tell parents, that child is going to make them a lot of money and buy them a retirement house some place nice and warm.  By helping kids see the benefits of what they have, they can thrive!

The same can be said for aspergers, which is part of the Autism spectrum.  People with this label are said to have poor social skills and tend to focus on repetitive tasks.  Some technical companies are seeking asperger people out because of that ability to focus on a repetitive task.  They are finding that aspergers can focus on details over and over again, better than the average person.  Sure, they may not have social grace, but you can learn that over time and most of us are not that good with social skills anyway.

Unlike some learning centers that want to tell you your child has a problem and train their brain to be something else.  We focus on their strengths and build their confidence.  Research has shown that by improving strengths, a person can often overcome any perceived weakness.