We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2012 "Hidden Thoughts of LD" Art Competition! Discover these beautiful works and stories from children, teens and adults with learning disabilities.
Simple objects—like a grapefruit and a lemon—are sometimes all it takes to boost your elementary school-age child's math know-how. Don’t miss these fun ideas.
Executive function is a set of mental processes that helps connect past experience with present action. People use it to perform activities such as planning, organizing, strategizing, paying attention to and remembering details, and managing time and space.
If you have trouble with....More >
The Anne Ford and Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarships offer financial assistance to two graduating seniors with documented learning disabilities (LD) who are pursuing post-secondary education. The Anne Ford Scholarship was first awarded in 2002; in 2009, with a generous donation from Ann....More >
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects writing, which requires a complex set of motor and information processing skills. Dysgraphia makes the act of writing difficult. It can lead to problems with spelling, poor handwriting, and putting thoughts on paper. People with dysgra....More >
Dyspraxia is a disorder that affects motor skill development. People with dyspraxia have trouble planning and completing fine motor tasks. This can vary from simple motor tasks such as waving goodbye to more complex tasks like brushing teeth. It is estimated that dyspraxia affects at ....More >
Dyscalculia refers to a wide range of lifelong learning disabilities involving math. There is no single type of math disability. Dyscalculia can vary from person to person. And, it can affect people differently at different stages of life.Two major areas of weakness can contribute to ....More >
The parents of millions of children who struggle to learn are searching 24/7 to help their children move forward in school. This guide to Response to Intervention is an easy-to-understand and critical tool for these parents.
- James H. Wendorf. Executive Director, NCLD
Overview
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Mission & History
The National Center for Learning Disabilities improves the lives of all people with learning difficulties and disabilities by empowering parents, enabling young adults, transforming schools, and creating policy and advocacy impact.Learn more ›
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Learning disabilities (LDs) are real. They affect the brain's ability to receive, process, store, respond to, and communicate information. LDs are actually a group of disorders, not a single disorder. Learning disabilities are not the same as intellectual disabilities (formerly known ....More >
NCLD primarily offers information about learning disabilities (LD) through our website, LD.org. We're confident that you'll find our articles, publications, advocacy guides and policy-related publications, and our handy checklists, worksheets, and forms to be reliable and useful resou....More >
Senior year of high school — time to relax, coast, wait for college, right? Wrong! You may have been accepted to your college of choice, but the work doesn't end with an acceptance letter and a trip to the mall for new sheets and jeans. How will you finance your college education? Wh....More >
Resource Locator
NCLD’s Resource Locator is here for you! Discover thousands of national, state, or local resources and information listings that can be organized by keyword and state, or select from our drop-down menu.Start using the Resource Locator ›
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NCLD, with the State of Learning Disabilities, has published a critical report that will further the debate over how to strengthen the programs and policies we have in place to serve and protect students and adults with learning disabilities.
- Thomas H. Kean, NCLD Board Member and f....More >
What Are Learning Disabilities?
Learning disabilities (LD) are a group of varying disorders that have a negative impact on learning. They may affect one’s ability to speak, listen, think, read, write, spell or compute. The most prevalent LD is in the area of reading, known as dys....More >
Just as the school can observe and record your child's behavior at school, you can do the same at home. Take the journalist approach — answer questions, such as who, what, when, and where as they relate to your child's behavior. Don't forget, only record what you see and hear, not you....More >
NCLD has created the IDEA Parent Guide to help you become an informed and effective partner with school personnel in supporting your child's special learning and behavioral needs. Use this Guide to understand:
How the federal law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (ID....More >
Take the Checklist
It's not always easy to recognize learning disabilities. If you or someone you know displays the signs described in our LD Checklist, it's time to seek additional information or help.The following checklist is designed as a helpful guide and not as a tool to pinp....More >
Each public school child who receives special education and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). Each IEP must be designed for one student and must be a truly individualized document. The IEP creates an opportunity for teachers, parents, school admini....More >
There are several different ways the brain processes auditory information. If there is a weakness in a particular kind of auditory processing, it may be observed through specific types of behavior. Below is an explanation of the different types of auditory processing. Each category a....More >
School can be a stressful environment for the child and a time of vulnerability. Appropriate accommodations and modifications can reduce stress and can assist in achieving and maintaining educational success. As a parent, you are your child's greatest advocate, supporter, and cheerlea....More >
Learn more below about our two other sites: GetReadytoRead.org and RTINetwork.org. We invite you to visit them!
Get Ready to Read! (GRTR!), is NCLD's national initiative that seeks to build the early literacy skills of preschool-age children by providing parents, educators, healt....More >
FAPE is the acronym for a Free and Appropriate Public Education. It is one of the most misunderstood concepts of the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA). And it often causes the greatest conflict between parents and schools. A required component of IDEA, FAPE mandat....More >
I have often written about learning strategies, and how important it is to help students become "strategic" in their approach to learning, and I discussed some ways that teachers can promote student learning by both teaching and reinforcing the use of effective strategies to their s....More >
There are lots of ways the brain processes visual information. Weaknesses in a particular kind of visual processing can often be seen in specific difficulties with practical, everyday tasks.
Below is an explanation of each of the types of visual processing. Each category also....More >
A Parent's Perspective — Prior Written Notice (audio)
A Parent's Perspective — Setting Goals and Planning for the Transition to College (audio)
A Parent's Perspective — Success is Sweet: A Story of Parent Advocacy (audio)
A Parent's Perspective — Tips for....More >
What Is Information Processing?
Sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch are all ways the body collects information. But the act of using those senses is only the first step towards being able to use the data they've collected. The information the body collects is sent to the brain w....More >
As the parent of a school-age child with learning disabilities (LD), you know that basic patterns of thought such as controlling impulses, flexibility, planning, and organizing must steadily develop and improve as a child advances in school. If they don’t, children fail in small ways ....More >
Truth be told, learning disabilities (LD) are not easily explained. While they are “specific” to any number of areas of learning (such as reading, math, and writing) they are also often overlapping or co-occurring, meaning that individuals with LD can have significant challenges in m....More >
Did you know that, effective January 2009, eligibility for protection under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act became broader? Some students who did not qualify for Section 504 in the past, or who were not eligible for services and supports under the Individuals with Disabilities E....More >
The Nature of Learning Disabilities
One of the hallmark features of learning disabilities (LD) is inconsistent performance. Research studies with children, adolescents and adults with LD frequently point to sometimes erratic and often confusing profiles of individuals who seem to b....More >
Remember the day when someone rattled off a phone number while you just hoped against hope you'd recall the string of digits as you were dialing? That was working memory toiling away. With the advent of cell phones, you may no longer use it this way very often. But working memory stil....More >
My child is struggling 
Now that my child has 
