Q: I have a six-year-old granddaughter with learning disabilities. She has trouble getting her numbers in order and remembering her ABC's. She has some speech problems; you really have to listen closely to understand her. She's a very sweet girl, but doesn't join in because she's embarrassed when she doesn't understand things like the other children in her class. Please help us.

A: The most important step your granddaughter's parents need to take is to get a school psychologist's evaluation, if they haven't already done that. If your granddaughter is classified as learning disabled, she may be eligible for help from the school speech and language therapist.

You can do some positive things to help your granddaughter when she visits. Books with rhymes and music to sing are very helpful to children learning letters, numbers and language. If you feel hesitant about singing alone with her, play some appropriate children's tapes and sing along with them. You may even want to make up rhymes together. Also, reading to your granddaughter is always helpful. Playing board games together can help her with counting and spatial skills and will not feel like pressure to her.

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Dr. Sylvia Rimm, Phd

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