Learning Disabilities

What is LD?

The following articles provide you with some basic information about learning disabilities.

• LD Basics
• How Do You Know If Your Child Might Have a Learning Disability?

Can you recommend summer camps especially for kids with special needs?

As a non-profit organization, we can not recommend specific camps. We can, however, provide you with articles that will give you the information you need. It is important to be a careful consumer when looking for a program for a child with special needs. Check out each camp carefully. Visit the site and talk with previous clients if possible.

Here are some articles you may be interested in:

• Tips for Choosing A Summer Camp for Your LD Child
• Make the Right Choice
• Summer Camps for Kids with Learning Disabilities or AD/HD

Additional resources found on LD OnLine include the following:

• DO-IT Summer Camps
• Kids' Camps is a comprehensive directory of camps and summer experiences on the Internet.
• Summercamp offers a wealth of tips, answers and hints for parents and children.
• SOAR is a non-profit wilderness adventure program for ADHD and LD youth.
• Learning Camp
• Camp Nuhop A summer camp for children with learning disabilities, behavioral disorders and attention deficit disorders. (Ohio & Colorado)
• The Directory of Summer Camps for Children with Learning Disabilities is available for $5.00 from the Learning Disabilities Association, 4156 Library Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15234. (412) 341-1515

Here are a few other resources:

• Camps and Summer Programs for Kids with Special Needs
• State by state listing of programs & camps
• Summer Camps for Children and Teens with Behavioral Problems, ADHD, Learning Disabilities, Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
• National Camp Association

What is dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a language-based disability derived from differences in brain structure and brain function. Although dyslexia presents itself somewhat differently in each person, it has some common characteristics that can be determined through evaluation. You may find the following articles to be helpful:

• General Information About Dyslexia
• Common Signs of Dyslexia
• Dyslexia: Beyond the Myth

For further information visit the Reading Rockets website or contact The International Dyslexia Association.

What is the difference between a person with LD and a slow learner?

According to government regulations, students with learning disabilities have “disorders in one or more basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations.”

However, it is often difficult, based on observed behaviors, to distinguish between slow learners and learning disabled persons. Basically, a student with LD has deficits in one or two areas while performing at or above the average in other areas. The child's potential or overall intelligence is greater than his/her poor achievement would predict. This is called the ability-achievement discrepancy. It is even possible for someone to have characteristics of both conditions.

Actual diagnosis of a learning disability can only be done by a trained professional – clinical psychologists, educational psychologists, some physicians, etc. There are a number of articles that give parents and teachers a better idea of what goes into making such a diagnosis. A few of the articles list typical signs of a possible learning disability; others list strategies that work well with LD students.

The last reference raises serious questions about whether an ability-achievement discrepancy is a valid definition of reading disability. Well-replicated research has demonstrated that a core deficit for reading disabled individuals – both children and adults – is phonemic awareness (the ability to understand how sounds and sound patterns work in our language system). Although it's a difficult read, this article has some good citations and research within it.

• Early Identification: Normal and Atypical Development
• What Are Learning Disabilities?
• Basics for Parents: Your Child's Evaluation
• Who Can Diagnose LD and/or ADHD?
• How Do You Know If Your Child Might Have a Learning Disability?
• Does Third Grade Discrepancy Status Predict the Course of Reading Development?

Also check these sections of our site for general information about learning disabilities and teaching strategies that can help:

• About LD
• For Educators

What are some strategies I can use to help develop my child's working memory?

There are several activities you can do to lift the memory performance of a child. Researchers have found that using mnemonic devices can help students improve their memory skills. Below are some suggested resources:

• Expert Connection: Memory (TeachingLD)
• Teaching Students Ways to Remember: Strategies for Learning Mnemonically by M.A. Mastropieri and T.E. Scruggs

Other articles suggest games to play that will encourage your child to use his/her memory to remember everyday occurrences.

• Tool Kit for Parents: Making It Stick
• Improve Memory Skills (Parents.com)
• Commands Game (Your Family Clinic)

Lastly, it may be beneficial to find a support group in your area to see what works for others. There are several publications, organizations, and support groups that exist to help individuals, teachers, and families to understand and cope with learning disabilities – see LD OnLine's resource list to get started.

I think my child may have a learning disability but I'm not sure how to describe to the school exactly what I want assessed. What should I do?

If it is hard to verbally state why you have concerns, bring your child's work samples with you to the school to show what is hard to articulate. A full psycho-educational assessment should give you the answers that you seek.

Before going elsewhere, you might want to find out exactly what services the school system could offer you – and when they could provide them. If the timeframe or suggestions for providing needed services is unacceptable to you, there are independent educational testers that you can go to privately. The following articles will give you an idea of what to expect from the testing process:

• Special Education: Evaluation
• Stages of the Assessment Process
• Basics for Parents
• 10 Steps in the Special Education Process

There are several national organizations that can help you through this process and provide referrals to local professionals. You can contact the International Dyslexia Association or the Learning Disabilities Association. In addition, you can look in your local phone book for “educational testing” or “psycho-educational testing” for someone close to you. LD Online has a Yellow Pages service that might be helpful. There are also educational consultants and educational advocates that can help you through the process locally.

Be a good consumer in this process. Ask potential testers, tutors, and consultants about their experiences and specialization before you choose a provider. You want to make sure that the person you choose will be a good match for your child.

I suspect my child might have dyslexia. What should I do?

It is important to address reading problems early so you can begin getting your child the appropriate help. The following articles describe characteristics common to students with dyslexia and other learning disabilities. You may find it helpful to read these articles to determine if you see similar characteristics in your child:

• General Information About Dyslexia
• Common Signs of Dyslexia
• Dyslexia: Beyond the Myth
• How Do You Know If Your Child Might Have a Learning Disability?
• What Are the Early Warning Signs of Learning Disabilities?

If, after reading these articles, you still suspect your child is showing signs of having a learning disability, it is within your rights as a parent to request a free educational evaluation through your public school. Whether or not he is found eligible for special services, the evaluation will help determine your child’s academic strengths and weaknesses and how best he learns. The following articles describe the steps involved in the evaluation process, including your rights as a parent:

• Special Education: Evaluation
• Basics for Parents: Your Child’s Evaluation

After the evaluation process is completed, you can use the information from the evaluation to help you make a decision about the next step in your child's educational path.

I feel as though my child's skills are regressing. What should I do?

It is alarming to feel that your child is no longer making progress and may even be losing skills, but it will benefit him if you recognize this early and intervene.

Speak with his teachers about your concerns and share any samples of his work that reflect these concerns. Together, you can decide which step should be taken next. If you and his teachers feel that the level and amount of services and accommodations your child is receiving need to be revisited, then an IEP meeting should be convened.

You may also consider asking that the concerns you have about your child’s academic progress be discussed at the school's next local screening meeting. At this meeting, you and the other members of the local screening committee will decide if further evaluation for your child is warranted.

At both meetings, it is important to discuss the possible reasons for your child's current struggles in helping to determine the next course of action. For example, perhaps your child was able to compensate for his disability before, but now that he is getting older and the schoolwork is getting more challenging, his ability to compensate is being strained and the achievement gap between your child and his peers is widening. His apparent regression may also be signs of stress from knowing that he is falling further behind. It is imperative that the emotional component of your child's educational experience be addressed.

The following articles may give you some ideas of ways to make the most of these meetings and include information about your rights as a parent throughout the special education process:

• Advocacy in Action: You Can Advocate for Your Child!
• Some Common Sense Steps to Resolving Disagreements Between Parents and Schools

You and your child's teachers should be able to work together to develop an educational program that will meet his needs and help him reach his academic potential.

My child's school says that my child is very bright, but they want to hold him back because of his poor reading skills. I want him tested for a reading disability. What should I do?

Because your child is so bright and is still struggling with reading, he may very well be exhibiting some of the characteristics typical of students with a learning disability. It may be helpful to look at the following articles, which describe characteristics that some children with learning disabilities exhibit:

• Early Warning Signs of Learning Disabilities
• Dyslexia: Beyond the Myth
• General Information About Dyslexia

If you see characteristics of your child's reading struggles in these articles, you should state these specific concerns to the professionals at this school and request that your child receive an educational evaluation. This evaluation is free and within your legal rights as a parent to request. This article will give you an overview of the evaluation process:

• Basics for Parents: Your Child's Evaluation

The following article will give you suggestions on how to be the most effective and informed advocate that you can for addressing your child's educational needs:

• Advocacy in Action: You Can Advocate for Your Child!

Whether or not he is found eligible for special services, the evaluation, among other things, will help determine your child's academic strengths and weaknesses and how best he learns. This should make the decision about how to help your child in subsequent years seem clearer.

Because your child is bright, he may be able to compensate, at this point, for any learning difficulties that he might have. But as he gets older and the reading material in school gets more challenging, your child may find it increasingly difficult to compensate and he may fall further behind. This is why the earlier the cause of his reading weaknesses is determined and addressed, the better chance your child has of truly reaching his academic potential.

What should I do if my child has an IEP but is not making any progress?

Because you feel that your child is not making progress, it is important to request an IEP meeting as soon as possible. At this meeting, there should be a detailed discussion about the type of assistance your child is receiving and for how long each day. You should also ask her teachers if your child is making progress toward meeting her IEP goals and objectives. Request documentation, such as your child's work samples and assessments, to support their claim.

You and the rest of the IEP team may need to rewrite your child's IEP in order to ensure that she is receiving the type and amount of services, accommodations, and modifications she requires to reach her academic potential. Consider bringing a friend or family member with you to the meeting to offer moral support, to be a second set of ears to keep up with all of the information shared during the meeting, and to help keep you focused on what you want to achieve during the meeting. The following articles may give you some other ideas of how you can make the most of this meeting:

• How Parents Can Be Advocates for Their Children
• Advocacy in Action: You Can Advocate for Your Child!
• Some Common Sense Steps to Resolving Disagreements Between Parents and Schools

Your child's IEP is a legal document that her school must follow. If you do not feel that her IEP is being met or that you and the school can agree on an IEP for your child, then there are steps you can take. The next article outlines what can happen if there is disagreement about the IEP:

• Understanding the Special Education Process: An Overview for Parents

You can also contact the Parent Advocacy Resource Center in your state. They may be able to provide you with information, suggestions, and guidance specific to your child's needs.

Parents can be the strongest and most knowledgeable advocates for their children, so trust your instincts and don't give up until your child receives the type of education that she needs and to which she is entitled!

How should I teach beginning reading to primary students with special needs?

Reading Rockets has a wealth of sound information about teaching children to read. Here are some articles that provide basic knowledge on this topic:

• Research-Based Principles for Improving the Reading Achievement of America’s Children
• School Features That Support Effective Instruction
• The Foundations for Reading
• The Top Ten Things You Should Know About Reading
• What Principals Can Do to Help Students Become Good Readers
• Knowledge and Skills for Teaching Reading
• The Need to Change the Way Children Are Taught to Read
• Reading 101
• Areas of Difficulty
• 9 Components of Effective, Research-Supported Reading Instruction
• 12 Components of Research-Based Reading Programs

Reading Rockets offers strategies, lessons, and activities designed to help young children learn to read. Its resources assist parents, teachers, and other educators in working with struggling readers who require additional help in reading and comprehension skills development. Our sister website, Colorín Colorado, although designed for Spanish-speaking parents and educators of English language learners, also has excellent information for anyone interested in early reading instruction.

Where can I find information about services for people with learning disabilities outside the United States?

There are several organizations with world-wide membership that may be able to assist you.

• Learning Disabilities Worldwide

  LDW is an international organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with learning disabilities. They strive to increase awareness and understanding through multi-lingual media productions and publications that serve populations across cultures and nations. Their educational enrichment programs are designed to serve individuals with LD, their families, and the professionals in their lives. They publish the largest peer reviewed journal, “Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal”, and present the annual “World Congress on Learning Disabilities.”

• International Dyslexia Association

  The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) is a nonprofit, scientific, and educational organization dedicated to the study and treatment of the learning disability dyslexia. IDA focuses its resources in four major areas: information and referral services, research, advocacy and direct services to professionals in the field of learning disabilities.

How can I get my child with LD motivated to read more?

Any reading struggles that your child is experiencing may help explain why she chooses not to read. From a child’s perspective, it is less painful to give up than it is to try and fail. These articles may help you and your child work through some of these issues of motivation:

• Motivation: The Key to Academic Success
• Managing Your Child's Education: Creative and Smart Ideas
• Tips for Developing Healthy Self-Esteem in Your Child
• Defining the Self as a Learner for Students with LD
• When Kids Hate to Read

How can I find a professional who can diagnose a learning disability?

A full psycho-educational assessment would be helpful to give you more information about the way this student learns.

First, find out from a school administrator exactly what services the school system can offer and when they could provide them. Express your concerns and find out the procedures involved in going through a screening process for your child. If the timeframe or suggestions are unacceptable, there are independent educational testers that you can go to privately. The following articles might be helpful to you:

• Stages of the Assessment Process
• Basics for Parents
• 10 Steps in the Special Education Process
• Who Can Diagnose LD and/or ADHD?

There are several national organizations that can help families through this process and give local professional referrals. They might also have information about financial assistance for testing. You might want to contact:

• International Dyslexia Association
• Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA)

In addition, you can look in your local phone book for “educational testing” or “psycho-educational testing” for someone in your area. LD OnLine also has a Yellow Pages service that might be helpful.

Be sure to ask potential testers, tutors, and consultants about their experiences and specializations before choosing a provider.

How common are language-based learning disabilities?

According to the International Dyslexia Asssociation and the Learning Disabilites Association of America, about 15% of the population (close to one in seven) has a learning disability. Of the students with learning disabilities receiving special education services, 70-80% have deficits in reading.

Luckily, there is plenty of information on how to address the needs of these children. More information on strategies to help children with learning disabilities is available on LD OnLine and Reading Rockets.

My child has a learning disability and I'm concerned that the reading program her school uses is ineffective. Can you recommend a reading program?

Although we don't review specific reading programs, the following articles outline the elements that all effective reading instruction contains. From these articles, you can see how your child’s reading program compares:

• 9 Components of Effective, Research-Supported Reading Instruction
• 12 Components of Research-Based Reading Programs
• A Scientific Approach to Reading Instruction
• Multisensory Structured Language Programs: Content & Principles of Instruction

This next article also lists characteristics of effective reading programs for students with learning disabilities and includes information and worksheets to help determine the quality of a specific reading program:

• What the Science Says: Effective Reading Interventions for Kids with Learning Disabilities (Schwab Learning)

Also, the American Federation of Teachers published a report in 1999 called Building on the Best, Learning from What Works: Five Promising Remedial Reading Intervention Programs.

Have a meeting with your child's teachers so that you can share your concerns with them. Any reading remediation that she receives should be individualized to her specific needs, because no pre-packaged programs are able to address every child’s areas of weakness, strengths, and the instructional methods with which they learn best. You and your child's teachers should work together to ensure that her specific needs are being met. This may require an IEP meeting to develop a new IEP with more skill-specific educational goals and objectives.

My daughter has a learning disability. What strategies can I use to help her through the writing process?

The following articles from LD OnLine have information about writing and learning disabilities:

• Handwriting Club: Using Sensory Integration Strategies to Improve Handwriting
• Strategies for the Reluctant Writer
• Prevention and Intervention of Writing Difficulties for Students with Learning Disabilities
• Teaching Expressive Writing to Students with Learning Disabilities
• All Children Can Write

Also, contact her teachers and ask for suggestions. They may have strategies they use in class that you could use at home.

The following link has reviews of software programs for many different educational applications, including writing:

• SuperKids Educational Software Review

What should I do for my child who has an IEP but still has trouble with handwriting, taking notes, and writing speed?

The following articles describe some typical characteristics of students who struggle with the physical act of writing:

• Dysgraphia Accommodations and Modifications
• Helping Students Who Struggle to Write
• Strategies for Dealing with Dysgraphia
• Understanding Processing Deficits
• Understanding Why Students Avoid Writing

If you see some of your child’s struggles described in these articles, you may want to call an IEP meeting to share your concerns. At this time, you and the other members of the IEP team can discuss whether the goals, objectives, accommodations, modifications, and types and level of services your child is receiving are meeting his needs in the area of writing. This would also be a good time to discuss whether your child’s writing challenges are most likely related to the disability label under which he has an IEP or if further evaluation is warranted to get a clearer picture of why writing is such a struggle for him.

Regardless of the cause of your child’s writing difficulties, he may experience greater success, confidence, stamina, and productivity by using a computer, software that aids in the writing process, and other relevant assistive technology. You and the rest of the IEP team should discuss the possibility of incorporating keyboarding skills and technological tools in your child’s IEP as goals, objectives, and accommodations in his everyday academic experience.

The sooner your child’s writing challenges can be systematically addressed, the greater the likelihood of him reaching his potential in writing.

How can I help older students improve in reading comprehension?

There are a number of approaches to helping students organize their thinking and get the most out of textbooks. Some of the strategies, such as the SQ4R process, are useful in upper elementary, middle, high school, and college levels.

You may find the following articles of interest:

• Textbook Reading Strategies (Cuesta College)
• Improving the Reading Comprehension of High School Students
• Comprehension Instruction: What Makes Sense Now, What Might Make Sense Soon (Reading Online)
• Comprehension Instruction: What Works
• Balancing Authenticity and Strategy Awareness in Comprehension Instruction (53K PDF)* (Michigan State University)
• 20 Online Resources on Reading with Comprehension and Engagement (Reading Online)

Finally, the Learning Strategies Database at Muskingum College’s Center for Advancement of Learning (CAL) has an excellent website. It has an extremely comprehensive listing of reading comprehension strategies applicable to both secondary and postsecondary instruction.

What remedial reading methods work best for students with learning disabilities?

There are many reading programs available to help struggling readers. Reading programs should address the specific needs of each child. Effective programs target the learning areas needing attention, and also present information in a way that is the most beneficial to the child’s learning style. There is no perfect method for teaching reading, and no one method works for everyone. The following articles might be useful to you:

• Reading Methods
• Strategies that Work for Students with Dyslexia
• A Conversation with Sally Shaywitz, M.D., author of Overcoming Dyslexia (Schwab Learning)
• General Information About Dyslexia
• Instructional Grouping for Reading for Students with Learning Disabilities

Reading Rockets has several articles that addresses reading programs and their benefits for young children:

• 12 Components of Researched-based Programs
• Components of Effective, Research-Supported Reading Instruction
• Reading Methods for Students with LD