"Having a brain that cannot express itself is an incredible frustration." - learning disabled student.

A learning disability (LD) is a problem in the way that a person's brain processes information. Simply stated, a learning disability is an information processing problem. Learning disabilities are considered "hidden disabilities" because a person with a learning disability shows no visible signs of being disabled. LD is a condition to be understood and managed. The most common learning disabilities include dyslexia, a severe difficulty with reading; dyscalcula, a severe difficulty with math; and dysgraphia, a severe difficulty with writing.

Learning disabilities are presumed to be neurological in origin and researchers agree that they are not caused by visual, hearing, or motor disability, mental retardation, cultural disadvantage, or emotional disturbance. Generally, learning-disabled students have the capacity to learn and perform at or above average ability levels. However, learning is affected by perception and integration difficulties. A person with LD must gather, integrate, and express information in adaptive ways. Students may compensate for lack of these abilities by developing alternative learning strategies. Learning disabilities can be the most challenging of all the disability groups in the college setting. However great the problems for community college personnel, it cannot equal the challenge that achieving a college education presents for a student with a learning disability.

SERVICES: Assessment for eligibility for services from DSPS as a student with a learning disability can be administered at the John Adams or Ocean Campuses. DSPS will also accept a diagnosis made by a licensed psychologist or other appropriate professional, the Department of Rehabilitation, or documentation from a secondary or post-secondary educational institution.

Once eligibility is established, the student works with a DSPS counselor to determine appropriate academic adjustments on a course-by-course basis.

LD students often experience difficulties with social interactions and emotional overlays due to their disability. Some students go to great lengths to hide their problems for fear that they will be regarded as mentally handicapped and illiterate. The ones who are more likely to succeed in the college environment are those who understand and come to terms with their disabilities. Whenever appropriate, instructors should privately discuss suspected learning disabilities with students, and encourage them to take advantage of the resources that can help them recognize and capitalize on their strengths.

Accommodations should not fundamentally alter the requirements of the class, but may alter the way a student receives information and/or demonstrates knowledge of information.