Do I have a Learning Disability?
Determining whether you or your child have a Learning Disability (LD) can be complicated. Adults today may not have had access to services or tests to diagnose LD when they were in school and, even now, many schools are reluctant to test students who show signs of LD. Very successful people may struggle with an LD, and it can be difficult to admit that you or your child need extra help.
A Learning Disability can interfere with a person’s school and personal life in many different ways. For those with dyslexia, learning to read and spell correctly can be a major obstacle. If you have dysgraphia then writing-intensive tasks can be very difficult and tedious. Dyscalculia can interfere with your ability to keep up in math, science, and personal finances. Even telling time can become a near-impossible task, and getting and following directions can be difficult, as can paying attention in class or at a work meeting.
Many adults with LD have learned various ways to cope, and may excel in other areas. A person with dyslexia may be a math whiz, or a natural engineer or scientific thinker. Art, music, and sports are all areas where the person with LD can shine. Unfortunately, some persons with LD do not get the support and encouragement they need and can end up discouraged, depressed, and believing they are stupid. This can lead some to go down the wrong path in life, but this doesn’t need to be you. While the best interventions come early in life, it is never too late to get help for your LD.
Tests to determine LD
There are many tests available to diagnose various LDs. For someone still in school, the school may perform these tests free of charge. If not, the best route to go is to see a child psychologist who specializes in LD diagnosis. A professional can rule out any other causes which can look like LD, determine what type of LD it is, and recommend the course of action to take to help improve the outlook for that person’s success. A psychologist may recommend private tutoring using the Orton-Gillingham method
For an adult, it can be difficult to get tested for LD. If you are enrolled in a college or University program, your first step should be to contact their disability services office or tutoring office where they should be able to provide testing. If you have children who have been tested and diagnosed with an LD or AD/HD, you may wonder if you have the same condition. This would not be uncommon as dyslexia and other LDs, as well as AD/HD, have been shown to run in families. Ladder Learning Services can perform a series of screening tests to determine if you may have an LD.
Symptoms of LD
The following symptoms may indicate the presence of LD:
For adults, the main sign of a possible LD is an unexpected lack of achievement in one or more areas which is not consistent with intelligence. For specific signs and symptoms in adults, see this site.
For kids, the following symptoms may be an indication of LD, if present in a child with normal or above-average intelligence:
- Short attention span
- Poor memory
- Difficulty following directions
- Inability to discriminate between/among letters, numerals, or sounds
- Poor reading and/or writing ability
- Eye-hand coordination problems; poorly coordinated
- Difficulties with sequencing
- Disorganization and other sensory difficulties
- Performs differently from day to day
- Responds inappropriately in many instances
- Distractible, restless, impulsive
- Says one thing, means another
- Difficult to discipline
- Doesn’t adjust well to change
- Difficulty listening and remembering
- Difficulty telling time and knowing right from left
- Difficulty sounding out words
- Reverses letters
- Places letters in incorrect sequence
- Difficulty understanding words or concepts
- Delayed speech development; immature speech
If your child shows any of these signs, it is recommended that you consult with a child psychologist who specializes in educational assessment for LD.