Learning Disabilities

According to the U.S. Department of Education, 2.8 million students are currently receiving special education services for learning disabilities. A learning disability (LD) is usually defined as a lifelong disorder which affects the manner in which individuals with normal or above average intelligence select, retain, and express information. Incoming or outgoing information may become scrambled as it travels between the senses and the brain.

Internet Resources

When searching for more information about this topic, consider using the terms “learning disabled children,” learning disabled teenagers,” “learning disabled youth" or "learning disability or disabilities.” You can also search by using the unique term for the specific disability.

KidSource OnLine: Disabilities: Learning Disabilities
www.kidsource.com/kidsource/pages/dis.learning.html
Created by a group of parents, this site focuses on health and education issues. One unique feature allows you to search a particular topic in all of the top Learning Disability web sites: www.kidsource.com/kssearch/ldsearch.html.

LD OnLine: The Interactive Guide to Learning Disabilities for Parents, Teachers, and Children
www.ldonline.org
Updated frequently, this site is a great place to stay current with the latest news and developments. An online newsletter and a bulletin board feature encourages communication.

Learning Disabilities Association
www.ldanatl.org
This official website of the Learning Disabilities Association offers extensive information about the detections of disabilities in early childhood (www.ldanatl.org/factsheets) and the broad variety of learning disabilities.

Long Island Toy Lending Center for Children with Disabilities
www.longislandtoylendingcenter.org
The Center teaches children through play and counsels parents on using play to help their child. The Long Island Toy Lending Center has an extensive library of toys, therapeutic play materials and books for parents and children to use and borrow.

The National Center for Learning Disabilities
www.ncld.org
The National Center for Learning Disabilities provides leadership in support of children, teens, and adults with learning disabilities. The site features information for parents, including warning signs of learning disabilities.

NICHCY: The National Information Center for Children and Youth With Disabilities
www.nichcy.org
NICHCY is the national information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues with a special focus on children and youth. Numerous publications for parents on disabilities can be downloaded. The site may be viewed in Spanish and the publications are available in Spanish.

Library Resources

Books at your library may be located in the Adult area, the Children’s area or in a Parenting Collection, classified under several different Dewey numbers including the 370's and 649's. Your library's database collection can provide access to magazine and newspaper articles. Ask your librarian for help in locating the materials you need or visit your library online at www.nassaulibrary.org/list/nasslist.html

Books

Learning Disabilities: A to Z by Corinne Smith and Lisa Strick, 1997.
Offers parents a complete guide to learning disabilities from Preschool to Adulthood.

Learning Disabilities Sourcebook. Edited by Linda Shin, 1998.
Gives basic information about dyslexia, visual and auditory processing, attention deficit disorder and autism. Reports on research and assessment programs.

Learning Disorders: A Guide for Parents and Teachers by William Feldman, 2000.
Offers parents concise, accessible information on a wide-range of learning disabilities. Lists organizations involved in learning disorders as well as a complet bibliography.

Learning Outside the Lines: Two Ivy League Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD Give You the Tools for Academic Success and Educational Revolution by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole, 2000.
The goal of this book is to help kids, parents, and teachers through the author’s stories and with their study strategies.

A Mind At a Time by Melvin Levine, 2002.
A pediatrician urges schools and parents to give developmental growth the same significance as physical growth and suggest ways to deal with children whose learning styles are not the norm.

Our Labeled Children: What Every Parent and Teacher Needs to Know about Learning Disabilities by Robert J. Sternberg and Elena Grigorenko, 1999.
Two Yal researchers rail at the labeling of kids as learning disabled; contains a history of the LD programs and a good bibliography.

Learning Disabilities and Social Skills

How Difficult Can This Be? Understanding Learning Disabilities

These two videos are part of a series of specials aired on PBS focused on helping parents to understand their children’s learning disabilities.

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