Special Services

Learning Disability Self Quiz

Self Assessment

If you are struggling with your class work, you can answer the following questions to see if taking the Learning Disability assessment would be a good idea. Would you answer yes to any of the following questions?

Even though I am successful at my other courses, am I avoiding math, or English, or critical thinking because I think I can't do it?
Can I learn when I read the textbook but have trouble learning from a lecture?
Do I need more time for tests than other students?
Do I read so slowly that I am always behind in my reading assignments?
Am I having trouble with algebra because I don't know fractions or the multiplication tables?
Do I have trouble organizing my time, my notebooks, and/or my written essays?
Do I know the information for a test when I study with my study group but get a bad grade on my tests anyway?
Is spelling so difficult that I cannot find the words I need in the dictionary?
In math, do I mix up the arithmetic signs (such as + - x)?
Do I have trouble working with numbers in columns?
Do I have trouble taking notes and understanding later what I wrote?

If you answered Yes to one or more of the questions, you may be eligible for learning disability assessment.

What is a learning disability?

First of all, people with learning disabilities have average to above average intelligence. A learning disability is NOT the same as overall low ability. However, because of differences in the way the brain processes information, there may be significant discrepancies between the person's intelligence and how s/he performs in a school, or job, setting.

Learning disabilities are invisible, but may affect a student's performance in reading, writing, spoken language, mathematics, orientation in space and time and/or organization. The areas of difficulty will vary from one student to another.

Many individuals, particularly older adults, with learning disabilities aren't aware of the reasons for their difficulties in learning. Perhaps they thought of themselves as "dumb" or "lazy" because their teachers or families gave them those labels. Others may have been able to use their strong memory, good people skills, or some other strength to carry them through their high school years. However, when they get to college and try to learn algebra, read a biology textbook, or take notes from a complicated lecture, they discover that it is much harder to get around their learning problems without help.

There are many well-known individuals who have learning disabilities and who have achieved success. They include Whoopi Goldberg, Cher, Charles Schwab (CEO of the investment company), Albert Einstein, Scott Adams (cartoonist and creator of Dilbert), and many others.

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