FAQ

What is a learning disability?

According to federal law, a learning disability is “…a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write or to do mathematical calculations…”

What type of person has a learning disability?

There is no profile of a person with learning disabilities. An individual can have different combinations of learning disabilities, which may also be influenced by his or her learning environment. Thus, one person with learning disabilities related to reading will usually perform much better on an untimed reading test than on a timed test; yet another person who also has a reading disability, but who is hyperactive, may not experience the same difficulty in testing.

How many people have learning disabilities?

The National Institutes of Health estimate that 1 out of 7 Americans of all ages have some type of learning disability. Although parents should be aware of mislabeling and misevaluation, it is important to note that up to 17% of all children in the USA do have a learning disability (nearly 1 in 6), and that 93% of the children with LD that receive help at an early age are able to read in a normal range by 2nd grade.

When do learning disabilities occur?

Learning disabilities are frequently discovered before or during the school years but most often persist into adulthood. These disabilities, however, may change in intensity, importance, and manifestation and affect the individual’s functioning in different ways at different stages of life. Thus, while reading (decoding and/or comprehending) may be the primary area of difficulty for a learning disabled child in school, organizational problems may emerge in adulthood for this same person as the main concern—both at home and in the workplace.


What are the characteristics of a learning disability?

The learning disabled person often can be described as a “puzzlement” – someone who appears to be (and often is) highly capable in some activities but quite limited in others. For example, a learning disabled student is very capable of presenting his ideas in classroom discussion, but in his written work he gives the impression that he is low functioning as evidenced by his poor spelling, disorganization in expressing his thoughts on paper, and in the simplicity of his sentences and ideas. Another person with learning disability may show marked variability in functioning. Thus, Jim, a school librarian, is organized, attentive and responsive to student needs much of the time; however, he also can be disorganized and unfocused when working with students at other times.


People with learning disabilities typically experience different degrees of difficulties with one or several of the following learning processes:

• Bringing information in (by eye or ear)
• Processing information (making use of the information in your brain)
• Getting information out (speaking or writing). This may manifest itself as an impediment to listening; decoding letters and symbols; thinking; retaining information; speaking, reading, writing; expressing thoughts verbally or in writing; spelling; or understanding mathematical symbols, concepts and calculations

Other examples of the characteristics are as follows:


• May have difficulty following directions
• May have difficulty understanding abstract concepts but be competent understanding and recalling details, or vice versa
• May be able to add and multiply but not subtract or divide
• May have difficulty multi-tasking
• May be poorly coordinated in some activities but adept in others
• May be able to learn information presented in one way but not in another
• May be a child who can do math in her head but not subtract or divide
• May sound jumbled when speaking, stop and start in the middle of a sentence or idea, choose immature/inappropriate subject matter to talk about
• May have difficulty telling or understanding jokes
• May have difficulty picking up and/or interpreting social cues
• May have difficulty in making transitions from one activity to another

Persons with learning disabilities, given their various challenges and the failures that frequently occur in their lives, often suffer from low self-esteem, loneliness and the experience of learned helplessness.

What are some common learning disabilities?

Learning disabilities include such disorders as:

Dyslexia

These problems may be basic, such as having difficulty decoding letter and words. They may also be complex and involve comprehension difficulties, despite the fact that decoding skills have been mastered. Difficulty in processing written words and sentences may result in slow reading, which can, in turn, create problems in understanding and completing reading tasks.

Dysgraphia

Writing difficulties include a) problems in the physical act of writing, b) spelling difficulty (dysgraphics may spell phonetically), c) difficulty organizing and expressing ideas in writing, and d) difficulty generating ideas while writing.

Dyscalculia

There are many different types of learning disabilities related to mathematics. An individual with this sort of problem may experience, with reference to aspects of mathematical calculation/problem-solving: a) visual/spatial trouble; b) difficulty processing and thus comprehending written problems; and c) problems with both retaining math terms and concepts and also keeping math procedures in proper order.

Attention-Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder

A significant number of persons with learning disabilities also suffer from AD/HD, a condition that makes it difficult for individuals to concentrate, control behavior, and sit still. Signs of AD/HD include problems with paying attention, controlling activity, and/or being impulsive. Adults and children with Attention Deficit Disorder do not worry about details, are unable to focus on play or school, do not complete assignments or chores, are easily distracted, and have a tendency to lose things such as books and toys. Children with Hyperactivity may squirm and fidget excessively, run around when they are meant to be sitting in class, talk an excessive amount, play noisily, and interrupt others while they are still talking.

Non-Verbal Learning Disability

Since many communication skills are classified as “non-verbal,” a non-verbal learning disability is one that affects those aspects of communication. These disabilities affect individuals in one or more of the following different ways: a) interpreting social cues (body language, physical gestures); b) reacting to emotional cues; or c) comprehending humor, sarcasm, and metaphorical speech.

Visual Processing Disorder

A visual processing, or perceptual, disorder refers to a hindered ability to make sense of information taken in through the eyes. This is different from problems involving sight or sharpness of vision. Difficulties with visual processing affect how visual information is interpreted or processed by the brain.

Auditory Processing Disorder

An auditory processing disorder interferes with an individual’s ability to analyze or make sense of information taken in through the ears. This is different from problems involving hearing per se, such as deafness or being hard of hearing. Difficulties with auditory processing do not affect what is heard by the ear, but do affect how this information is interpreted, or processed by the brain.An auditory processing deficit can interfere directly with speech and language, but can affect all areas of learning, especially reading and spelling. When instruction in school relies primarily on spoken language, the individual with an auditory processing disorder may have serious difficulty understanding the lesson or the directions.

Sensory Integration Disorder

Sensory integration disorder or dysfunction (SID) is a neurological disorder that results from the brain’s inability to integrate certain information received from the body’s five basic sensory systems. These sensory systems are responsible for detecting sights, sounds, smell, tastes, temperatures, pain, and the position and movements of the body. The brain then forms a combined picture of this information in order for the body to make sense of its surroundings and react to them appropriately.

What can be done about learning disabilities?

All children show one or more of these behaviors from time to time throughout their childhood. A consistent showing of a group of these behaviors should be considered an indication to seek further professional advice, observation, or assessment. Keep a journal of what you observe, noting dates and situations. This will be very useful if meeting with professionals.

 Below we suggest some basic first steps to be taken in order to address LD effectively. Keep in mind that these are general guidelines that apply across a broad spectrum of scenarios. For more specific advice, be sure to call our Learning Disabilities Helpline at (212) 645-6730.

Get a professional evaluation!

Noticing a few symptoms or early warning signs of LD is one thing, but completing a comprehensive psycho-educational evaluation is quite another. This evaluation consists of two components:

1. A psychological profile which helps to rule out any emotional or mental disorders that can cause the symptoms of LD
2. An educational evaluation that examines both actual academic ability in a variety of subject areas and also potential academic ability measured through a standard intelligence test.



Depending on the age of the person exhibiting symptoms of LD, different options for pursuing and paying for that evaluation exist.

Below, we break down those differences according to age group:

Early Intervention (Birth to 3)


Because children this young are not in school, symptoms of LD may be hard to detect, and doctors may be hesitant to perform a comprehensive psycho-educational evaluation. Even so, your pediatrician is the first person to talk to. If your child’s pediatrician can recommend someone who has experience performing evaluations for children in this age bracket, you may want to get a referral and go to that doctor. Check with your child’s insurance provider to see how and where such an evaluation is covered before making an appointment. If you cannot get a referral from your child’s pediatrician, and your insurance will not cover the procedure without one, you may want to call NYC Early Intervention (1-800-577-BABY or 212-219-5580) for a free screening or, if needed, comprehensive evaluation.

Preschoolers (3 to 5)


In most cases, parents of children in early intervention will be given the option to automatically enroll their child in the CPSE process. For children who are not given this option, or who were not in early intervention, parents should write to their Regional CPSE to request an evaluation.

School Aged Children (5 to 21)


To access special education services through the Department of Education (DOE), parents are advised to write a letter to the school psychologist, who generally heads the Instructional Support Committee (ISC), a.k.a. the School-Based Support Team (SBST). This letter should include as much identifying information as possible (name, date of birth, address, phone number, school). 

For any complications resulting from this process, you may want to call our Helpline at (212) 645-6730 to speak to a counselor. If you disagree with the results of the school’s district’s evaluation, or wish to have a second opinion, you may request an independent evaluation at public expense. Be aware that reimbursement policies vary among school districts.

 Alternatively, you may also want to seek an independent evaluation before bringing your child’s case to the attention of the DOE. You can speak with your insurance company to get information on both how to go about finding a specialist and your plan’s coverage of evaluations. Additionally, LDA OF NYC maintains a database of referrals to diagnostic agencies and clinics, many of which offer services at low cost, based on income and family size.

 Most comprehensive, psycho-educational evaluations will result in either a diagnosis of a specific learning disability, or a classification according to a system of general categories of disability. More importantly, any good evaluation will include educational recommendations that will point toward services that can remediate a learning disability. With such services, you or your child can overcome the obstacles posed by LD, and start on the way towards whatever academic goal you have in mind.

Adults (21 and Over)


Getting an evaluation as an adult can be more difficult and/or more expensive than getting one as a child. This is due in large part to the lack of funding and services provided by the Department of Education for children. For adults in New York, the major source of public funding for disabilities is through Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID). This agency, part of the State Education Department, provides a variety of services and programs for individuals with disabilities, but usually requires a medical diagnosis of a disability before individuals are eligible for services. While some insurance carriers are willing to pay for such a diagnosis, others are not. Our referrals database contains many evaluation sites, some of which offer a sliding scale fee for services. Once again, this evaluation should be seen as the all-important first step that will enable persons with disabilities to overcome obstacles to their desired level of learning.



Remember: Any questions you may have about these services, including their locations and contact information, may be directed to our Helpline at (212) 645-6730, between the hours of 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Monday-Friday.