What is LD and ADHD?

The number of students with Learning and Attentional Disabilities attending colleges and universities has grown dramatically in recent years.  Thanks to laws mandating services in K-12 and “equal access” to college, these bright young adults make up the largest number of disabled students on college campuses today. 

While many students come to college knowing that they have a learning disability (LD) or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) and proactively seek out resources, some don’t.  Some students do not anticipate how their disabilities will play out in college or want to go it alone instead.  There are also many students who do not get diagnosed until they encounter their first failure in college or graduate school, when the academic demands intensify or when they struggle to manage their lives independently.  Some of these gifted individuals who previously excelled are frustrated when their former academic strategies are no longer effective.  Despite having above average intelligence and abilities, these students may become increasingly discouraged, and worse, have trouble graduating.

Providing these students with services and accommodations that will help them reach their goals is part of the mission of UNC’s Academic Success Program for Students with LD/ADHD.

What is a Learning Disability?

The Learning Disability Association of America defines a learning disability as a “neurological condition that interferes with one’s ability to store, process or produce information.  Learning disabilities can affect one’s ability to read, write, speak, spell, compute math, reason and also affect a person’s attention, memory, coordination, social skills and emotional maturity.” (http://ldaamerica.org/new_to_ld/defining.asp).

LDA states that someone with a learning disability might display some (not necessarily all) of the following characteristics:

  • Confuses numbers and letters when reading and/or writing
  • Struggles comprehending oral and/or written language
  • Hears sounds, words, sentences incorrectly
  • Reads well but doesn’t write well, or vice-versa
  • Can express ideas orally but not in writing
  • Struggles with writing (sentence structure, writing mechanics, grammar, spelling and organizing ideas)
  • Struggles remembering math facts
  • Struggles remembering and following sequential, multi-step math procedures
  • Struggles with memorization
  • Has a short attention span
  • Has poor social skills

What is Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)?

According to the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, AD/HD is a neurological condition that interferes with the brain’s executive functioning (efficient management of one’s thoughts, emotions and actions), manifesting itself in a persistent pattern of inattention, impulsivity and/or hyperactivity that significantly hinders daily functioning. (http://www.add.org/pdf/GuidingPrinciples021206Rev[1].pdf).

Both the Attention Deficit Disorder Association and Dr. Ed Hallowell, director of  the Hallowell Center (http://www.drhallowell.com/resources/articles/diagnostic_adults.html), state that someone with AD/HD might display some (not necessarily all) of the following characteristics:

  • Struggles inhibiting impulses
  • Struggles becoming and remaining organized
  • Struggles focusing and sustaining attention and effort until task is completed  
  • Searches for high stimulation
  • Has low tolerance for frustration and boredom
  • Juggles many projects simultaneously
  • Struggles following established procedures
  • Is often creative, intuitive and intelligent
  • Is often physically and/or cognitively restless
  • Worries Excessively
  • Has low self-esteem

Additional signs of a possibly undiagnosed Learning Disability or AD/HD:

  • Parental over-involvement in daily life to remind, plan and problem-solve
  • History of working with tutors or needing informal classroom adjustments prior to college
  • Slower at completing work compared to others
  • Grades do not reflect the extent of studying
  • The presence of depression, anxiety, substance abuse or other emotional problems – conditions often coexisting with LD and AD/HD
  • Family history of LD and/or AD/HD