An indication of a learning disability in an educational setting is a discrepancy in ability and achievement. You might observe a pattern of uneven abilities.

These are a few examples of how a learning disability might manifest itself. In looking for possible indications of a learning disability, it is as important to look for areas of strength as it is for areas of weakness because they are the real markers of the person's ability.

Learning disabilities are not characterized by fine lines, rather they are individual and diverse in nature. Within the educational field there is not complete agreement as to the definition and parameters of learning disabilities nor of the importance of causal factors. A general point of agreement, though, is that "learning disabled" refers to persons with average to above-average learning ability who have specific areas of deficit.

There is no "magic" way to teach the learning-disabled student known only to "specialists." Rather, the learning-disabled student should be thought of as having particular learning strengths and weaknesses. Be willing to explore ways to assist learning -disabled students. For example, a student with difficulty taking notes might wish to tape lectures. Another might need an opportunity to submit several drafts of a written assignment.

For more information, contact the Disabled Student Advisor at 494-2836.