How to Diagnose a Learning Disability

Rebecca S. Blakeman, Ph.D.,

Licensed Psychologist

Is your child struggling in school?  Does he/she not "work up to potential?"  Do his/her teachers complain that he/she could do the work "if they just tried?"  These are often the first signs that a child is struggling with an unrecognized learning disability.

What is a Learning Disability?

Traditionally, learning disabilities have been defined as a difference between intellectual ability and academic achievement.  To be diagnosed with a learning disability, a student would have to be performing academically well below what was expected based on their estimated ability, or intelligence.  Unfortunately, using this definition of learning disability meant that many children had to suffer without intervention, until they fell far enough behind academically to get a "statistical" difference in scores.  Today, we know that learning disabilities can be diagnosed before children fall so far behind, so that intervention can occur much earlier than had previously been the case.

Different Types of Learning Disabilities

There are many different types of learning disabilities.  For example, a student may have a Reading Disorder (often called Dyslexia), an Arithmetic Disorder, A Writing Disorder (often called Dyspraxia), or a Nonverbal Learning Disability, just to name a few.

How is a Learning Disability Diagnosed?

Unfortuately, it is not always possible, except in the most extreme cases, to look at a child and know, "He has a learning disability," or "She doesn't have a learning disability."  Many times, learning disabilities are subtle and difficult to recognize.  The only way to know for sure is to conduct an evaluation.

An evaluation for a learning disability should be tailored to meet the needs of the individual child.  However, generally speaking, an evaluation for a learning disability would consist of at least two batteries of tests.  The first is an IQ, or intelligence test, which will provide the examiner with information about cognitive strengths and weaknesses, separate of academic learning.  The second set of tests is a comprehensive academic battery that measures multiple aspects of reading (phonetic skills, sight word recognition, reading comprehension), arithmetic (calculation, math reasoning), written language (spelling, written expression), as well as language skills (listening and oral expression).  Depending on the results of these tests, the examiner may choose to incorporate other neuropsychological or language tests.

Who Can Diagnose a Learning Disability?

Learning disabilities are diagnosed by psychologists.  If your child is having academic difficulties and you feel an evaluation is warranted, the school system can provide a free evaluation.  Evaluations can be very expensive, and having the school do the testing avoids this expense.  However, schools often have a long list of children who need to be tested, and only one or two people who can do the testing.  It can therefore take many months to complete an evaluation through the school system.  If you want rapid results, or do not feel comfortable with the school testing your child, you can work with a licensed psychologist in the community.

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