Individuals with Learning Disability

According to the National Institutes of Health, one in seven Americans has some type of learning disability (LD). The most common types of learning disability involve difficulties with basic reading and language skills. As many as 80% of students with learning disabilities have reading problems. Currently, adults who have learning disabilities are the fastest growing group of students with disabilities in academia.

Recognizing a Learning Disability

Learning disabilities are externalized differently for each individual and can range from mild to severe. Some specific learning disabilities impact the ability to read, write, and process information. However, individuals with learning disabilities generally possess average to above average levels of intelligence yet usually have difficulty developing, integrating and demonstrating verbal and/or nonverbal abilities. For this reason, a discrepancy may exist between achievement and intellectual capacity.

Since learning disabilities are virtually invisible, many times an individual with a learning disability will complete most if not all of their formal education without ever being properly diagnosed and treated. Often, undiagnosed individuals will develop personalized coping strategies that serve to hide or compensate for deficiencies in learning. These individuals may feel ashamed or embarrassed of their inability to process certain information, failing to realize that their academic problems stem from a neurological condition and not a personal weakness or lack of intelligence. By becoming aware of various learning disabilities and their effects, the instructor will be more likely to help an individual identify a previously unnoticed learning disability.

Without formal testing, some signs that may indicate a possible learning disability are:

Need of oral repetition of written instruction.
Verbal ability far exceeds reading/writing ability.
Uses simpler vocabulary and sentence structure in writing than when speaking.
Spells the same word differently in a single piece of writing.
Trouble with open-ended questions on tests.
Reverses letters, words, or numbers in written text on a consistent basis (e.g. d for b, 35 for 53, or was for saw).
Appears conscientious and motivated but is not experiencing academic success.

Other characteristics common to many individuals with learning disabilities include:

Disorganization,
Time disorientation,
Limited attention span,
Difficulty following directions,
Poor listening skills,
Inability to shift from one task to another, and
Inadequate strategies for monitoring errors.

Individuals with learning disabilities may also exhibit difficulties in the areas of reading, writing, and/or math/science such as:

Reading

Slow reading rate,
Poor comprehension and retention of written material, and
Difficulty with complex syntax.

Writing

Difficulty composing and/or sequencing ideas,
Poor sentence structure,
Incorrect grammar,
Frequent and inconsistent spelling errors,
Poor notetaking skills, and
Poor letter formation, capitalization spacing and/or punctuation.

Math/Science

Difficulty with basic math operations,
Difficulty comprehending word problems,
Difficulty aligning numbers,
Poor number formation,
Confusion of mathematical and scientific symbols, and
Tendency to reverse number sequences.

Accommodation Suggestions

Many specific learning disabilities exist; each with its own set of limitations and requirements. Therefore, it is difficult to address the full range of access issues and academic concerns individuals with learning disabilities may experience. When working with individual students, additional research about the type of learning disability involved, as well as the individual circumstances of the individual in question, is absolutely essential. Some suggestions for accommodations include:

Keeping the display of information uncluttered and/or the layout consistent from one page to the next.
Minimizing and making clear references to spatial information and/or directions in text-based material.
Utilizing search databases that allow for spelling errors, either by accommodating spelling approximations and/or suggesting alternative or intended spellings.
Providing extended time on timed essays or tests for individuals with learning disabilities who require additional time to process written information.
Defining organization and expectations in any method of format of data presentations, such as a course outline, assignment or project directions; or webpages with clear or marked navigational links and menu bar.
Offering programs,software, etc. that support any of the assistive technologies implemented by individuals with learning disabilities, such as audio-taped books or talking browsers.

The next page will present information about individuals with mobility impairments.

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