Once high school comes around, it’s important that students know how to take charge of their learning disability (LD) and are able to articulate what they need in order to succeed. High school issues are tough enough—competition, planning for the future, and raging hormones, to name a few—which is why it's important that teens know how to deal with LD-related obstacles.
Parents often struggle with helping their teens with LD choose a career path. Laura Breeden, an expert in career management, shares her expertise on how parents can help their children prepare for the workplace and what skills provides keys to success. More >
Your child is preparing for success beyond high school. The National Center for Learning Disabilities wants to help you as you guide your child on the next step of their journey into college and the wider world. 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 >
As you and your teen look ahead to college, make sure you're both aware of key differences between high school and college: special education services and the laws that support and protect those with learning disabilities. There are no IEP's in college!
This checklist provides:
De....More >
A student with a learning disability planning to attend college needs to take several steps to prepare for selecting the right college and for a successful college experience.
Preparing for College Success
The student must take a rigorous college preparatory program while in high ....More >
Transition is one of the many areas supported by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004). When IDEA was last reauthorized, Congress made substantial changes to the law to increase opportunities for more students to graduate with a regular diploma and then make the ....More >
While nobody likes to be disorganized, for students with learning disabilities, disorganization can spell certain disaster. Searching for lost assignments or course handouts can take up valuable time, and it's almost impossible to study and meet deadlines when notes from different su....More >
With the first half of the school year almost complete, I think it's safe to say that everyone (parents, educators, students) is looking forward to some holiday time away from the classroom. But for students who will be finishing high school in the spring, the next few weeks are like....More >
You can't determine a person's strengths and weaknesses simply by looking at him or her. And you can't fully understand your own strengths and weaknesses without making the effort to recognize exactly what they are. That's why it's important to follow a systematic approach to discove....More >
Accommodations for the Classroom
An accommodation is an adjustment that allows you to participate in school or at work in a way that matches your learning strengths. Accommodations can include, among other things, a quiet work area, extra time to complete tasks, repetition of instr....More >
Recently, there's been a lot of research and discussion about early intervention and teaching basic reading skills to kids before the age of nine. But what happens to kids with delayed reading skills when they enter middle and high school? Are accommodations in the classroom enough? ....More >
The following is a transcription of the podcast, “Transitioning to College for Students with Learning Disabilities (Audio).”
In this podcast, Karen Golembeski, Assistant Director of Public Policy at the National Center for Learning Disabilities, and her guest Vincent Varassi d....More >
As the parent of an eleventh or twelfth grader with learning disabilities (LD), how confident are you about your teen’s plans for the future? Does your teen have realistic job or career goals? Has your teen found enjoyable activities that he is enthusiastic about pursuing as an adult?....More >
It is not done simply — like most complicated things in life. The recent report of the National Reading Panel had a whole chapter on reading fluency. And that's really what we're talking about is reading fluency and automaticity, which are directly linked to comprehension.When you th....More >
Adolescence is a trying time under the best of circumstances. For teens with learning disabilities, the daily and life-long struggles of coping with their disability-related symptoms can be wearing and dispiriting. Repeated failure, taunts from peers, and negative feedback from teache....More >
As your child makes her way through school, you, like most parents, worry about what life after graduation will hold. As a parent of a child with learning disabilities (LD), you have extra sources of anxiety. As high school begins, you worry about how strong your teen’s resilience sk....More >
Wanted!
Authoritative research-based data on successful transition to post-secondary school and work settings for adolescents and young adults with LD. Information must apply to all post-secondary students (regardless of school location, graduation status, prior school experien....More >
Obtaining an advanced degree or training beyond high school is essential for individuals to be competitive in today's labor market. Whether it is college, adult and continuing education, or technical preparation, postsecondary education plays a major role in preparing people for emplo....More >
My son, Sal, is a high school senior just outside of New York City. He was first identified at the age of four as a child with a significant language disorder, and then later, as a student with a learning disability and a stuttering disorder. A large part of his current success is rel....More >
Whether you’re a junior or senior in high school or a new graduate making decisions about your future, it’s important to get some real work experience. A volunteer or paid job can help you "try out" a career field or job setting to see if it’s a good fit for you.
Volunteer Jobs
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Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities: Navigating the Transition from High School to Adulthood is the book from former National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) Professional Advisory Board member, Arlyn Roffman. In her book, Dr. Roffman offers advice, tips, and information....More >
Our daughter Hillary was in the fifth grade when she was originally diagnosed with a language disability. It wasn't until she was a freshman in high school that her disability was given a name: Aphasia. Hillary's Aphasia is both expressive and receptive, meaning that reading, writing....More >
Are you concerned because your teen is struggling with academic learning in school? Have you noticed any social awkwardness or a tendency to keep a distance from peers? Does lack of motivation seem to be a problem? Do you worry about whether low self-esteem is taking the joy out of ....More >
Is your child or teen finding every excuse in the book to avoid going to school? Spending all her time alone? Having trouble eating or sleeping? Or, is something just not quite right, and you're not sure how to deal with it?Maybe it's time to think about seeking some professional help....More >
You've done some soul searching and decided that your child or teen with a learning disability (LD) might benefit from therapy. But with so many options available, what's the best approach to take?For some kids, just having a supportive place to go where they can talk and feel unders....More >
Are you a college-bound teen who relies on assistive technology (AT) to compensate for your LD or AD/HD? As you prepare for college, it’s important to know your rights and responsibilities regarding AT accommodations as a college student. Once on campus, it’ll be up to you to advocat....More >
Has your teenager always struggled with written expression? Is his or her written work messy, disorganized, and incomplete? If the answer is "yes", review the following list of common warning signs of dysgraphia in high school students. Dysgraphia is a learning disability (LD) that ....More >
Some people fear heights, other people fear snakes, but what I fear is writing essays. I find nothing more daunting than a blank sheet of paper waiting for me to divulge my thoughts and feelings that do not want to come. My head is streaming with thoughts, but my hand fights the trans....More >
Guiding Teens with Learning Disabilities
You and your child should prepare for the IEP meeting in advance to help you make the most of the transition planning process. Preparing your child for the IEP meeting IDEA requires that students attend their IEP meeting once transition plan....More >
Scholarships are "free money" given to a student for their college education--unlike loans, this money does not have to be paid back. Many private scholarships are available that grant money to students based on their particular strengths, interests, disabilities, and other character....More >
What Is Stress?Everyone is affected by stress and reacts to it in different ways. Stress is a way that our body responds to the demands made upon us by the environment, our relationships, and our perceptions and interpretations of those demands. We all experience both "good stress" an....More >
Has your teenager always seemed to be somewhat clumsy, struggling with fine (small) motor skills, dropping things unintentionally or bumping into people by mistake ? If so, review the following list to see if any of these common warning signs of dyspraxia look familiar. Dyspraxia is a....More >
Has your teenager always struggled – in one way or another – with math and spatial concepts? Has math become an even greater challenge in high school? Dyscalculia refers to a range of learning disabilities involving math. Whether your teen’s math struggles have existed in some form ov....More >
College admissions is a stressful process in the best of circumstances, but for students with learning challenges or AD/HD, it can be overwhelming. In a maelstrom of deadlines, recommendations, essays, and applications, standardized tests like the SAT and ACT stand out. Students tend ....More >
Learning to successfully interact with others is one of the most important parts of a child’s development. This can be yet another stumbling block for children with learning disabilities (LD): many struggle to develop the skills they need to be competent in social situations. But as a....More >
There are many reasons for going to a two-year college that should be taken into consideration when deciding which direction you’d like to follow when you graduate from high school. Don’t think of a two-year college as a second-choice option or one that holds less value. Many students....More >
Whether you’re applying to a two- or four-year college, there are many important factors to consider. Use the following checklist to help you determine which college will best meet your individual needs, keeping in mind the level of support your learning disability requires.
The chec....More >
For students with LD and/or AD/HD, needed accommodations can be critical on test day. By reducing the impact of attention problems or learning difficulties, accommodations allow for a fair comparison among students. Beyond general preferences for the ACT or the SAT, students can, and ....More >
My child is struggling 
Now that my child has 
