What is LD?

As early as age three or four, some young children exhibit problems in areas such as language development, phonological awareness, perceptual-motor abilities, and attention. While some of these concerns resolve themselves over time, others may be precursors of learning disabilities (LD). Formal identification of learning disabilities generally does not occur until second or third grade. However, there is much that can be done to meet the needs of all young learners, including those who show unexpected signs of frustration with learning.

Learning disabilities is a term that describes a heterogeneous ('mixed bag') group of disorders that impact listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, math, and social skills. Learning disabilities do not go away.  A learning disability is not something that can be outgrown or that is ‘cured’ by medication, therapy, or expert tutoring. So, early recognition of warning signs, well-targeted screening and assessment, effective intervention, and ongoing monitoring of progress are critical to helping children with LD have a successful early start in school.

Checklist of LD Signs and Symptoms: The Learning Disabilities Checklist is designed as a helpful guide to help parents and educators better understand the signs and symptoms of specific learning disabilities.

Advocating for Your Pre-school Child: An introductory guide to help parents and guardians get help and services if they believe their young child is at risk for a learning disability.

The Parent Center is for parents of a child with a learning disability, or for parents who suspect their child may have a learning disability. The goal of the Parent Center is to empower parents with the information and tools they need to become informed and effective advocates for their children, both at home and at school.

In the LD InfoZone, you will find links to major reports, research-based interventions and other effective teaching practices, as well as information from leading researchers in the field of learning disabilities.