Identifying and Supporting Adult Students with Learning Disabilities

Written by Amy Letteney, First Literacy Development Director

At First Literacy we believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to reach their full potential. An undiagnosed or untreated learning disability can be a challenging obstacle to overcome, especially for an adult looking to attain a high school diploma and further their education. Educators and community-based Adult Basic Education programs are on the front lines and can play a role in identifying adult learners who are struggling with a learning disability.

Learning disabilities are often unrealized in adult students lacking a high school diploma; according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, one in five children has a learning or attention issue. In addition, millions of children have issues that are unidentified, and this group is much more likely to drop out of school before attaining a high school diploma – only 68% will graduate.

Recognizing A Hidden Struggle

It’s vital to recognize that a learning disability has nothing to do with intelligence, Agatha Christie, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Tom Cruise and Earvin “Magic” Johnson are a handful of examples among a much larger group of visionaries and geniuses with a learning disability. While reading disabilities are the most common, some adults may have a hard time communicating thoughts in writing or have difficulty with math.

• Dysgraphia affects a person’s handwriting ability and fine motor skills.
• Dyscalculia affects a person’s ability to understand numbers and learn math facts.
• Dyslexia affects reading and related language-based processing skills.

An article from the Cleveland Clinic notes that 10% of people in the U.S. receive a learning disability diagnosis at some point in their lives. While learning disabilities can be common, a learning disability can also be easy to miss if you don’t know the signs. Each learning disability has its own signs such as difficulty with counting, holding a pencil correctly, staying on task, long-term or short-term memory, and rhyming to name a few.

Equipping Educators With Knowledge

First Literacy’s free Professional Development workshops and downloadable resources provide educators with new curriculum, pedagogy, and updated testing requirements. Many workshops are focused on meeting students at their individual levels and identifying issues that may interfere with their ability to learn. Below are some workshop resources that can help educators identify and support adult learners who are struggling with learning disabilities.

1. No Adult Left Behind: Strategies and Considerations for Working with Adult Learners with Disabilities- Materials from this 2020 First Literacy Professional Development Workshop provide case studies, tools to help students, tips for identifying many disabilities, and a link to the Boston Common Accessibility Assessment Tool.
2. Dyslexia and the Adult Learner- October is Dyslexia Awareness Month so it’s appropriate to share this workshop material from the International Dyslexia Association of Massachusetts. The materials address what dyslexia is, common signs of dyslexia, dyslexia in English Language Learners, and what teachers can do to support adult learners with dyslexia.
3. Identifying and Teaching Students with Special Needs- Resources from this workshop explore mindsets, strategies and tools to identify and work with students with disabilities.

Do you have adult learners in your classroom struggling with a learning disability? What workshops and resources would help you to help your students? Our process is interactive and input from educators is essential. Contact us if you’d like to continue the conversation.

To download the resources listed above, search the “Teaching Adults with Disabilities” category on the Resources for Educators page.