Ask any teacher: learning problems are common, and varied. When they interfere with school achievement, early identification is important, followed by effective ways of treating or compensating for the problem. The challenge is to discern what keeps a student from learning: Motivation? Learning Disability? Inattention? Something else?

Since learning problems usually show up in the early school grades, most struggling students get the attention of the special education team for diagnosis and (if a problem is identified) an Individual Educational Program. Others however, do well enough to slip past the sharp eyes of their teachers, ending up in the upper grades without knowing why learning has become so difficult. And some even move into their adult years, wondering why they continue to have trouble paying attention, remembering things, staying organized, etc.

Most people with learning problems are as intelligent as others who learn more easily. They are simply ‘wired differently’ in some way. To identify a person’s unique neurological processing pattern, extensive testing is required. Then, recommendations for adaptations and compensatory learning methods are key -- whether for a 3rd grader or a 30 year-old. It is never to early to get help. It is never too late to get help.