Students with Learning Disabilities Offered Success in College

Students with Learning Disabilities Offered Success in College

Registering for college courses can be straining for even the most organized college student. Knowing which courses to take, and what order to take them in, can be more than confusing to the already over-stressed student body. This process is even more strenuous for students with learning disabilities.

Registering for classes is just the beginning for learning disabled students. Kyle Turin, a freshman with Dyslexia, at Northeastern University is dismayed at the lack of attention he feels he is getting. Turin was diagnosed at a young age. He was never officially tested for a learning disability, but he was put into a specialized reading class until he went to high school. Kyle learned how to compensate for his difficulties but felt he slipped through the cracks in the system.

“They (teachers) figured out in like sixth grade that I had missed a crucial part of my reading comprehension stuff that other kids did get. I was put into reading courses. But now that I’m in college, I’ll have a class of like 150 kids where the only basis of the class is the textbook and in-class lectures, so I don’t have the opportunity to compensate in class the way that I used to.” said Turin.

Kyle Turin transferred to Northeastern University after his first semester at Hudson Valley Community College.

“They asked me if I had Northeastern insurance, and I said no and they basically said I was out of luck. They said I had to contact my own insurance company and see if they covered the disability test that I would need in order to get extra attention through Northeastern. But my insurance company won’t cover it because I’m over 18 years old. ”

A learning disability is defined as any one of various conditions that interfere with an individual's ability to learn, resulting in impaired functioning in language, reasoning, or academic skills. The National Center for Learning Disabilities explains it as a neurological disorder that affects the brain’s ability to receive process, store and respond to information. Basically, among people with learning disabilities there is a noticeable gap between their level of expected achievement and their actual achievement. Doctors and professionals agree there is no way to pin-point any specific causes for learning disabilities. The NCLD says some possible causes may include heredity, problems during pregnancy or birth, head injuries or nutritional deprivation after birth, and exposure to toxic substances.