Assessing Adults with Learning Difficulties. NetNews. Volume 8, Number 3, Summer 2008

Ms. K. has attended ABE (Adult Basic Education) classes for almost one year and has had significant difficulty in making progress in reading. She has passed some of the GED tests, but has struggled with others due to having insufficient time to complete them. She currently works as a teacher's aide in a daycare center. Her goal is to pass the GED and attend college. Ms. K. first began to have learning difficulties in first grade. She received speech and language services and remedial reading and math instruction during elementary school, but was not diagnosed with a learning disability until she was 16 years old. She dropped out of school soon after. She reports that her brother has also been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Ms. K. was referred to LDA Minnesota (Learning Disabilities Association of Minnesota) for assessment, to identify learning disabilities, determine productive learning strategies, and establish whether she meets criteria to request accommodations on GED tests. Does this student profile remind you of any of your students who are having difficulty progressing in one or more subject areas even after intensive instruction? Does he or she have a history of learning difficulties? If you answered yes to these questions, you may want to consider referring the student for assessment for a learning disability, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, or other learning concern. This issue of "NetNews" discusses the following topics: (1) Assessing Adults with Learning Difficulties; (2) Types of Assessment Available from LDA; (3) LD/ADHD Checklist of Symptoms; (4) Assessment Components; (5) What Is ADHD & What is an LD?; (6) Common Learning Disabilities; and (7) LDA Assessment Process.