What Are Some Common Signs of Learning Disabilities?

Preschool

Speaks later than most children

Pronunciation problems

Slow vocabulary growth, often unable to find the right word

Difficulty rhyming words

Trouble learning numbers, alphabet, days of the week, colors, shapes

Extremely restless and easily distracted

Trouble interacting with peers

Difficulty following directions or routines

Fine motor skills slow to develop
Grades K-4

Slow to learn the connection between letters and sounds

Confuses basic words (run, eat, want)

Makes consistent reading and spelling errors including letter reversals (b/d), inversions (m/w), transpositions (felt/left), and substitutions (house/home)

Transposes number sequences and confuses arithmetic signs (+,–, x, /, =)

Slow to remember facts

Slow to learn new skills, relies heavily on memorization

Impulsive, difficulty planning

Unstable pencil grip

Trouble learning about time

Poor coordination, unaware of physical surroundings, prone to accidents
Grades 5-8

Reverses letter sequences (soiled/solid, left/felt)

Slow to learn prefixes, suffixes, root words, and other spelling strategies

Avoids reading aloud

Trouble with word problems

Difficulty with handwriting

Awkward, fist-like, or tight pencil grip

Avoids writing compositions

Slow or poor recall of facts

Difficulty making friends

Trouble understanding body language and facial expressions
High School Students and Adults

Continues to spell incorrectly, frequently spells the same word differently in a single piece of writing

Avoids reading and writing tasks

Trouble summarizing

Trouble with open-ended questions on tests

Weak memory skills

Difficulty adjusting to new settings

Works slowly

Poor grasp of abstract concepts

Either pays too little attention to details or focuses on them too much

Misreads information

Speech & Language

The definition of learning disabilities includes problems in listening (understanding) and using spoken language. Very frequently, however, oral language problems are not considered to be learning disabilities. This is unfortunate because oral language is the basis or foundation of much learning in school as well as out of school. Perceiving and learning speech sounds, understanding and using new vocabulary, understanding and learning to use grammar, and using language appropriately to communicate with others are critical to school success.

 

 

 

Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), also called Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, is a developmental disability which all too often goes undiagnosed.  Individuals with this potentially debilitating disorder generally suffer in silence. More on NLD

 

---

 

The mission of the National Coalition on Auditory Processing Disorders, Inc. is to assist families and individuals affected by auditory processing disorders through education, support, and public awareness as well as promoting auditory access of information for those affected by auditory processing disorders. More on NCAPD

 

---

 

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 130,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists. More on ASHA

Tourette Syndrome

What Is Tourette Syndrome?

Tourette syndrome (TS) is named for the French doctor Georges Gilles de la Tourette, who first described the condition in 1885. It is thought that in most cases it is a genetic condition that’s inherited, or passed on from parent to child. Doctors and scientists don’t know the exact cause of TS, but some research suggests that it occurs when there’s a problem with how nerves communicate in the brain. A disturbance in the balance of neurotransmitters – chemicals in the brain that carry nerve signals from cell to cell – may play a role in TS. Tourette syndrome is not contagious.

 

Tourette Syndrome Association (TSA) is the only national voluntary non-profit membership organization in this field. Their mission is to identify the cause of, find the cure for and control the effects of Tourette Syndrome. They offer resources and referrals to help people and their families cope with the problems that occur with TS. They raise public awareness and counter media stereotypes about TS. More on TSA

 

---

Tourette-Syndrome – the Internet’s first online community devoted to children and adults with Tourette Syndrome (TS) disorder and their families, friends, teachers and medical professionals. More on Tourette-Syndrome

The following are 10 suggested steps to follow when parents choose to formally notify school administrators about their concern of harassment based on the child’s disability.  These steps are adapted from attorney Reed Martin’s “10 Steps to Making a Successful Complaint.”   This information is educational and not intended to be legal advice.

1. In writing, address the notification to a specific person and date the letter.
2. Write the letter to a person who has the authority to investigate and the authority to correct the wrong.
3. Note that the school district is a recipient of federal financial assistance.
4. State the past or continuing discriminatory activity against your child.
5. State that the school district has control over both the site of the discrimination and over any school personnel involved.
6. Explain that the discrimination was not a single act but was severe and pervasive.
7. Tell how the discrimination excluded your child from continued participation in school or denied your child the benefits to which other students in school have access.
8. Explain, as well as you can,  what you would like the school to do to stop the discrimination or to remediate the harm the discrimination has done to your child.
9. Ask for a copy of a school district greivance procedure under Section 504 (even if your child has an IEP under IDEA).  Not having this information may result in continued discrimination.
10. State that if the person receiving this letter does not investigate or does not take effective corrective action, that you may claim that the district showed deliberate indifference to the discrimination.  You may also want to add a date you expect to hear back from the district in regards to your letter.

 

 

Almost all colleges and universities provide some level of services and/or accommodations for learning disabled students, as mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The colleges listed in the link below go a step further…they offer programs, some quite comprehensive, designed to support students with learning disabilities.

LEARNING DISABILITIES PROGRAMS

AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES

 

Kern, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo,

Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties

ALLEN HANCOCK COLLEGE

800 South College Drive

Santa Maria CA 93454-6368

Contact Person: Rob Parisi

Tel: 805-922-6966 ext. 3274

www.hancockcollege.edu/

Lompoc Valley Center

1 Hancock Drive, Room 2-116

Lompoc CA 93436

Contact Person: Kerry Runkle

805-735-3366 ext. 5274

ANTELOPE VALLEY COLLEGE

3041 West Avenue K

Lancaster CA 93536-5426

Contact Person: Louis Lucero

Tel: 661-722-6360 ext. 6161

www.avc.edu

BAKERSFIELD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

1801 Panorama Drive

Bakersfield CA 93305-1299

Contact Person: Diane Allen

Tel: 661-395-4520

www.bakersfieldcollege.edu

Delano Campus

1450 Timmons Avenue

Delano CA 93215

Contact Person: Diane Allen

Tel: 661-720-2012

CERRITOS COLLEGE

11110 Alondra Boulevard

Norwalk CA 96050-6269

Tel: 562-860-2451

Contact Person: Don Garriott – ext. 2347

Mary Hunt – ext. 2409

www.cerritos.edu

CERRO COSO COMMUNITY COLLEGE

3000 College Heights Boulevard

Ridgecrest CA 93555-9571

Contact Person: Penny Talley

Tel: 760-384-6250

www.cerrocoso.edu

CITRUS COLLEGE

1000 West Foothill Blvd.

Glendora CA 91741-1899

Contact Person: Audrey Abas

Tel: 626-914-8573

www.citruscollege.edu

COLLEGE OF THE CANYONS

26455 Rockwell Canyon Road

Santa Clarita CA 91355-1899

Contact Person: Christi Franklin

Tel: 661-362-3341

www.canyons.edu

CUESTA COLLEGE

San Luis Obispo Campus

P.O. Box 8106

San Luis Obispo, CA 93403-8106

Contact Person: Dr. Patrick Schwab

Tel: 805-546-3100 ext. 3148

www.cuesta.edu/

North County Campus

2800 Buena Vista Drive

Paso Robles CA 93446

Contact Person: Dr. Patrick Schwab

Tel: 805-591-6200

EAST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE

1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez

Monterey Park CA 91754-6099

Contact Person: Grace Hernandez

Tel: 323-265-8787

www.elacc.edu

EL CAMINO COLLEGE

Compton College

1111 West Artesia Blvd.

Compton CA 90221-5393

Contact Person: Jennell Allen

Tel: 310-900-1600 ext.2406

www.elcamino.edu

Torrance Campus

16007 Crenshaw Boulevard

Torrance CA 90506

Contact Person: Kathryn Holmes, Bill Hoanzl

Tel: 310-660-3295

www.elcamino.cc.ca.us

GLENDALE COLLEGE

1500 North Verdugo Road

Glendale CA 91208-2894

Contact Person: Joy Cook

Tel: 818-240-1000 ext. 5450

www.glendale.edu

LONG BEACH CITY COLLEGE

Liberal Arts Campus

4901 East Carson Street

Long Beach CA 90808-1706

Contact Person: Dan Hansch

Tel: 562-938-4558

Pacific Coast Campus 

East Pacific Coast Highway

Long Beach CA 90806

Contact Person: Dan Hansch

Tel: 562-938-3921

LOS ANGELES CITY COLLEGE

855 North Vermont Avenue

Los Angeles CA 90029-3590

Contact Person: Andrea Smith

Tel: 323-953-4000 ext. 2276

www.lacitycollege.edu

LOS ANGELES HARBOR COLLEGE

1111 Figueroa Place

Wilmington CA 90744-2397

Contact Person: Sally Fasteau

Tel: 310-233-4240

www.lahc.edu

LOS ANGELES MISSION COLLEGE

13356 Eldridge Avenue

Sylmar CA 91342-3200

Contact Person: Robert Schwartz

Tel: 818-364-7732

www.lamission.edu

LOS ANGELES PIERCE COLLEGE

6201 Winnetka Avenue

Woodland Hills CA 91371-0001

Contact Person: David Phoenix

Tel: 818-719-6430

www.piercecollege.edu

LOS ANGELES SOUTHWEST COLLEGE

1600 West Imperial Highway

Los Angeles CA 90047-4899

Contact Person: Celceste Phelps

Tel: 323-241-5483

www.lasc.edu

LOS ANGELES TRADE TECH COLLEGE

400 West Washington Boulevard

Los Angeles CA 90015-4108

Contact Person: Donna Lichtman

Tel: 213-763-3773

www.lattc.edu

L.A. VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

5800 Fulton Avenue

Valley Glenn CA 91401-4096

Contact Person: David Green

Tel: 818-947-2681 ext. 2679

www.lavc.edu/

MOORPARK COLLEGE

7075 Campus Road

Moorpark CA 93021-1695

Contact Person: Sherry D’Attile

Tel: 805-378-1461

www.moorparkcollege.edu/

MOUNT SAN ANTONIO COLLEGE

1100 North Grand Avenue

Walnut CA 91789-1399

Contact Person: Grace Henson

Tel: 909-594-5611 ext. 4290

www.mtsac.edu

OXNARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE

4000 South Rose Avenue

Oxnard CA 93033-6699

Contact Person: Leo Orange

Tel: 805-986-5830

www.oxnardcollege.edu

PASADENA CITY COLLEGE

1570 East Colorado Boulevard

Pasadena CA 91106-2003

Contact Person: Ricardo Castillo

Tel: 626-585-7127

www.pasadena.edu

PORTERVILLE COLLEGE

100 East College Avenue

Porterville CA 93257-5901

Contact Person: Susan Lalabell

Tel: 559-791-2215

www.portervillecollege.edu

RIO HONDO COLLEGE

3600 Workman Mill Road

Whittier CA 90601-1699

Contact Person: Judy Marks & Patrick McConnell

Tel: 562-908-3420

www.riohondo.edu

SANTA BARBARA CITY COLLEGE

721 Cliff Drive

Santa Barbara CA 93109-2394

Contact Person: Janet Shapiro, Ed.D.

Tel: 805-965-0581 ext. 2365

 www.sbcc.edu

SANTA MONICA COLLEGE

1900 Pico Boulevard

Santa Monica CA 90405-1628

Contact Person: George Marcopulos

Tel: 310-434-4684

www.smc.edu

VENTURA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

4667 Telegraph Road

Ventura CA 93003-3899

Contact Person: Patty Wendt

Tel: 805-654-6400 ext. 3151

www.venturacollege.edu

WEST LOS ANGELES COLLEGE

9000 Overland Avenue

Culver City CA 90230-5002

Contact Person: Fran Israel

Tel: 310-287-4423

www.wlac.edu