Learning disabilities affect both adults and children. Learning disabilities can lead to low academic achievement, test anxiety, low self-esteem, and discouragement.

For Children:

If a child struggles with school, his or her teacher may recommend IQ or learning disability testing. Learning disability testing will determine whether the child has a learning disability, and what kind of learning disability the child has. Testing must be done by a psychologist or other trained professional. Once the child is diagnosed, the psychologist can make specific recommendations based on the child’s needs. Such recommendations may include:

  • Extra time on tests
  • Tutoring
  • Study skills training
  • Help with note taking

For Adults:

Sometimes adults have learning disabilities that were not diagnosed as children. They may have struggled in school as children and had to work harder than their peers to learn the same material. Once in college, a person with a learning disability may begin to have much more difficulty keeping up academically. College classes are more difficult, require more study time, and move at a faster pace than high school classes. The college student who was able to make good grades in high school may suddenly find that their learning disability is causing major problems.

What to do:

    • Before a learning disability can be diagnosed, the student must receive learning disability testing by a psychologist or other trained professional.
    • By law, colleges and universities must provide assistance to students with learning disabilities.
    • The psychologist who makes the diagnosis will offer specific recommendations. Such recommendations may include:
      • Extra time on tests
      • Tutoring
      • Study skills training
      • Help with note-taking.
      • Permission to record class lectures
      • Alternative course placement