Frequently Asked Questions about LDs

Questions asked by young people:

They tell me I may have a learning disability. What does that mean?

If you think of your brain as a super computer with millions of circuits, having a learning disability would be like having a few circuits wired differently for those in most computers. For example, some kids with LD may see letters upside down or reversed, or they may hear words jumbled together. Some kids can understand what they read very well but the words or numbers get mixed up when they try and put them down on paper. Other kids file information in their brain differently, and this can make it hard to get the information back out when they need it. Because you can’t see it, LD is often called an invisible disability.

Does having an LD mean that you can’t learn?

Certainly not! Kids who have learning disabilities are intelligent (at least average) and may even be gifted. But because their brains work differently kids with LD need to be taught in the ways that they learn best. Often a kid will be very strong in some ways of learning and not in others. The important thing is to find out what works for you and what doesn’t.

How do you find out if you have a learning disability?

Because learning disabilities are invisible, you have to do a bunch of tests with a psychologist to see if you have a learning disability. The tests involve answering questions, and working with pictures, designs and puzzles. These tests are used to figure out what you are good at, what you have trouble with, and how you learn best. Teachers can use the results of these tests to plan a good learning program for you.

How do you get an LD anyway?

No one is sure what causes learning disabilities. Sometimes LDs run in families, so an uncle or cousin or parent may have some kind of LD too. Recent advances in brain imaging technology have actually shown that the brains of people with LD work differently. Sometimes brain development is affected by things that happen before you are born or during birth. However, most often people don’t know what caused their LD.

What kind of help will I need for my LD?

Kids with LD need people around them who know they can be successful, and will support them. Many kids with LD will spend a part of their day in a learning centre or resource room working on the parts of school work that are hard for them. Some kids may spend most of their time in a small class. The important thing is that you are being taught in the way that works for you. You may also need to use equipment like computers or calculators or tape recorders to help you understand information correctly and produce your best work.

Will I outgrow my learning disability?

Learning disabilities do not go away. Your brain will still work differently as an adult, but you will have learned many new skills and ways of getting around your difficulties. Adults with LD who find a career where they can use their strengths and get around their difficulties can be very successful.

Questions asked by adults:

I sometimes reverse my letters, or get numbers mixed up, and people have told me I might be dyslexic. Does that have something to do with learning disabilities?

Dyslexia is the most common learning disability, and affects written language skills, usually reading, writing and/or spelling. Some people who are dyslexic mix up letters and numbers, but this is just one indicator. Research has shown that most dyslexics have trouble distinguishing the sound portions of words. Each person with dyslexia is unique in their pattern of strengths and weaknesses, so an individual assessment is important (see next question).

I have always had trouble in school, but I can do some things very well. How do I find out if I might have a learning disability?

Diagnosis of learning disabilities is done using a series of psychoeducational tests administered by a psychologist or psychological associate. This is often only available through professionals in private practice, and can be quite expensive, although most group medical plans partially cover the cost. Depending on your circumstances, there may be other options for getting an assessment paid for. For more information contact a resource facilitator at your local LDA chapter or LDAO.

What if I do find out I have a learning disability — what can be done?

There are three types of approaches to learning disabilities in adults — remediation, compensation, and accommodation. You can try remediation of specific academic skills, with a tutor who uses an individualized approach based on the strengths and weaknesses that were pointed out in your assessment. This may be especially worthwhile if your LDs were diagnosed later in life and you have not had any specialized tutoring in the past.

An important approach to LDs is to learn coping strategies and ways of compensating for your weaknesses, while making use of your strengths. Strategies may be suggested by the person who did the assessment, or you can share ideas in an adult support group. If possible it is best to find a course or career where your strengths are used the most, and your weaknesses don’t interfere too much.

Accommodations are ways of adapting education/training programs or workplace activities that make it easier for you to compensate for your weak areas. For example, different types of technology supports, such as computer programs, can be very helpful for many adults with LDs. Accommodations can not change the essential requirements of the course or job.

Is there any legislation in Ontario that gives rights to adults with learning disabilities?

The Ontario Human Rights Code is the key piece of legislation which prohibits discrimination against persons because of disability — and learning disabilities are mentioned specifically. Reasonable accommodations which respect the dignity of the person with a disability, do not change the essential requirements of the job or program, and do not cause undue hardship to the provider, are required under this legislation.

I have been reading about attention deficit disorder — is this a learning disability?

ADD, officially known as ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, is a separate condition from learning disabilities, but there are people who have both LD and ADHD. Also, some characteristics, such as difficulties with organisation, can be common to both.

Learning disabilities are diagnosed through a series of psychoeducational tests administered by a psychologist or psychological associate (see previous question). A psychologist may also be involved in diagnosis of ADHD, but since this a medical diagnosis and medication can be part of the treatment plan, diagnosis may be through a medical doctor. This might be a psychiatrist, or even a pediatrician who sees adults as well as children. There are some tests that specifically target attention and impulse control, but the diagnosis relies mainly on the history, presenting symptoms and ruling out other diagnoses which could explain the symptoms.

Questions Asked By Parents

My three year old is having trouble learning to talk. Could she have a learning disability?

Some kids with early difficulties in language development are later diagnosed with learning disabilities, but young kids develop in many different patterns so it is hard to predict their future. It would be important to share your concerns with your doctor or pediatrician, and to ask to have your daughter assessed by a speech-language pathologist. There are preschool speech and language programs in the community that you could find out about.

My son is in kindergarten and he is printing most of his letters backwards. I am worried that he might be dyslexic.

It is very common for young children to get confused about which way to make letters. With other objects in their world, it doesn’t matter which way they face – they are still the same object. It is only letters and numbers that have to face a particular way, and it takes some time to learn this. If your son is still consistently reversing most of his letters beyond age six, you should talk to his teacher.

Reversing letters is not the most common sign of dyslexia. Research has shown that most dyslexics have trouble distinguishing the sound portions of words. Young children need practice with rhyming words and picking out parts of words that they hear.

My daughter is almost at the end of grade one and she is still having trouble learning to read. She is getting very frustrated and comes home saying she must be stupid because all the other kids can read. What can I do?

Your first step is to take your concerns to the teacher. Most schools should have an early literacy program available for students who struggle with reading. If your daughter gets some help through such a program, and still is having trouble with learning to read, talk to her teacher and principal about getting a psychological assessment to look in to the underlying reasons for her reading difficulties.

My school board says they can’t do an assessment on my daughter for a couple of years. Do I have any other options?

Occasionally assessments by psychologists or psychological associates are available in a hospital setting (and are covered under OHIP), or through a children’s mental health centre if there are emotional/behavioural concerns. However there are often long waiting lists in these settings, and usually there has to be another referring condition. If you have a group medical plan through an employer, you can check to see if assessment by a psychologist is covered and to what maximum fee. You would need a referral from a medical doctor to get coverage under the group plan, but you can make an appointment directly with most psychologists/psychological associates. If you have a local chapter, I would talk to someone there about help in accessing psychological services through your school board, or about other options in your community.

I have heard something about an IPRC at my child’s school. What exactly is it?

An IPRC is a school board meeting where decisions are made about special education for a student. A parent can make a request for an IPRC, or the principal can initiate the process. Either way, the parent, and the student if16 or older, would be invited to the meeting. Each school board has their own Parent Guide describing the process and options in their board – ask your principal for a copy. At the IPRC meeting, decisions are made about identifying the student under a category (e.g. learning disability) and about appropriate placement.

Can I get an Individual Education Plan (IEP) for my child without an IPRC?

School boards can create an IEP for a student without an IPRC, but there is nothing requiring them to do this. When a student is identified through the IPRC process, an IEP must be prepared within 30 school days, and the parent (or student 16 or older) must be consulted and sent a copy of the plan. Some school boards prefer to offer IEPs without formally identifying students, but if you as a parent request an IPRC in writing, school boards are required to hold an IPRC meeting.

I am worried about having my child labelled in the school system. Won’t that mean that she’ll be in special education forever?

When a student is identified as needing special education through an IPRC, there is automatically a yearly review meeting to look at progress and see if changes need to be made to the identification and placement. You as a parent are an important part of that process, and any decisions would include you. Most students with learning disabilities need to keep their identification throughout school, if only to make sure they have accommodations (like extra time or use of a computer) in high school. Some students with LDs spend a few years in a self-contained special education class but most are in regular classes with withdrawal help or in-class support.

My son has had an assessment at school and is in special education, but I read something about dyslexia and I think he might be dyslexic.

Dyslexia is a term used by some professionals to describe learning disabilities in the written language area (reading/writing/spelling). Most school boards don’t use the term, but if your son has been diagnosed as having a learning disability through a psychological assessment, and the report talks about difficulties in the written language area, then basically they are talking about the same thing in different words. Even when a student is called dyslexic, the most important thing is that his assessment outlines his specific strengths and weaknesses and makes recommendations for specific ways of teaching him that take these into account.