Learning Disabilities and the High-School Years

by Bethann McGaffigan

"When a student reaches the high school level with an undiagnosed learning disability, their self esteem is very low," says Dr. Matthew Brewer, pediatrician. "The student is usually failing classes, does not want to cooperate, and creates a challenging situation for everyone involved." Learning disabilities and the frustrations that accompany them are a major reason that kids drop out of high school. Solid support from parents and professionals is vital to a student reaching his or her full potential. If your child displays any of the following signs repeatedly speak with a school professional at once.

• Problems adjusting to new settings
• Poor memory skills
• Problems with open-ended questions on tests
• Avoids reading and writing assignments
• Difficulty summarizing
• Spelling problems, such as spelling the same word differently in a single composition
Misreads information
• Poor grasp of abstract concepts
• Either pays too little or too much attention to details
• Works slowly

Have your school do a full evaluation of your child. Once the problems are identified and understood, then accomadations can be put in place to help your child learn.

More on: Identifying Learning Disabilities