LEARNING PROBLEMS
Do I have a learning problem?
If you are disappointed with your academic functioning, or
having difficulty with a particular academic tasks, like reading, you may be
questioning if you have a learning problem. If you read more slowly than
others, have to re-read often to understand, or spend a lot more time studying
than other students, you might have a significant learning problem.
We all learn differently and there
are many stages in the learning process where things might go wrong. Many
factors may affect success in an academic environment in addition to specific
study skills. Some of the factors that may affect learning outcomes include:
motivation, study skills, concentration, and emotional factors like test
anxiety. The severity of learning problems can vary greatly. One student may
need to become better organized in order to succeed, another might learn to
study differently for different kinds of tests and another might have a
learning disability that requires specific coping strategies or accommodations.
How can I find out if I have a
learning problem?
Talk with a counselor who can help you look at all of the
different factors that might be contributing to difficulties in your
performance. Looking closely at your background information including medical,
academic and personal/social histories is a good place to start. Many potential
problems need to be considered before it can be determined if you have a
significant learning problem. Do you want to be in college? Are you organized?
Do you know how to study and take tests? Can you control the inevitable anxiety
that develops when you take a test or give a presentation? Discussion of your
attitudes toward college, your study habits, and how you manage the stress of
being in college may reveal areas you need to address. Many problems can be
resolved with intervention in these areas.
A systematic plan for evaluating a
more complex learning problem might include an assessment for a potential
learning disability, especially if you are working very hard, doing everything
right, and getting poor results. An assessment for learning disabilities
usually includes extensive individual diagnostic testing. These evaluation
tasks measure your 
performance across a wide variety of activities. One goal is
to compare your learning potential with your academic achievement in different
areas to determine if you are experiencing a specific learning disability.
Learning disabilities are usually identified in the areas of reading, math, and
written expression.
performance across a wide variety of activities. One goal is
to compare your learning potential with your academic achievement in different
areas to determine if you are experiencing a specific learning disability.
Learning disabilities are usually identified in the areas of reading, math, and
written expression.
Even if the evaluation process does
not reveal a specific learning disability the evaluation process can provide
you with valuable information about the way you learn and help you develop
strategies that will improve your learning capability. You might learn that you
have difficulty grasping information that is presented verbally, or you might
discover that you need to find ways to package information effectively for
long-term storage.
What if I did well in the past?
Many learning problems are identified in grade school or
secondary school, but a learning problem can surface at any stage in a
student’s academic career. Just because you performed well in the past, you
should not think that you cannot have a learning disability.
What can I do if I think I have a
learning problem?
Take action. Read the Help Yourself
brochures available at the Counseling Services on time management, studying for
tests, coping with procrastination and improving your concentration that relate
to your evaluation of your problem. If these tips do not help, talk with a
counselor and develop a plan for improving your academic functioning.
Consult with an Expert!
An academic improvement plan might
include participation in the Counseling Services program called LEAP (Learning
Enhancement Assessment Program). This is a small group environment for students
who want to figure out how to cope most effectively with the college
environment and improve their academic functioning. It provides assessments to
help students understand their learning strengths and weaknesses and their
learning styles. Activities within the group promote development of new skills
and goal setting. The group provides a supportive environment where students do
not feel as alone with their learning difficulties.
If a learning assessment confirms
that you have a specific learning disability, you might choose the support
services available through the Disabled Student Services Office. You might want
to discuss your pattern of strengths and weaknesses with a counselor who can
help you think through what you need to do to help develop skills in advocating
for yourself within the college environment.
A Brief Screening Checklist
If you answer “yes” to several of
the following questions, it might be helpful to talk with a counselor about
your concerns.
- I think in pictures.
- Others find my handwriting hard to read.
- I have trouble keeping b, d, and p straight when I write.
- I am a lousy speller.
- I am disorganized, or, hyper organized.
- I make careless mistakes.
- Others are surprised at my low grades because they know I study a lot.
- I am a slow reader.
- I mix up numbers or make transpositions.
- I have test anxiety.
- I feel rushed and can’t finish tests; I’m always the last person to finish.
- I know I am smarter than my grades reflect.
- There are some things that I do really well.
- I study two to ten times longer than others.
- I have trouble concentrating.
- I teach the information to others. They get A’s and B’s; I get C’s, D’s, or F’s.
- I have difficulty remembering some things.
- Sometimes my thoughts seem to form a “logjam” when I try to speak them.
- I can't do math!
- What I write isn't the same as what I'm thinking.
- My words can't keep up with my thoughts.
- Sometimes I don't get jokes.
- I know I'm smart, but sometimes I feel stupid.
Resources
Agencies
Counseling Services
232 English/Counseling Services Building
785-532-6927
http://www.ksu.edu/counseling/
232 English/Counseling Services Building
785-532-6927
http://www.ksu.edu/counseling/
Disabled Students Services
202 Holton Hall
http://www.ksu.edu/dss/
202 Holton Hall
http://www.ksu.edu/dss/
Written Resources
Help yourself pamphlets available at
the Counseling Services office and on our Website:
Academic Success Through Time Management
“I know the material, but when I take the test I go blank!”
Procrastination: Problem or Plus?
Stressed Out Over Studying? Tests?
Improving Your Concentration
“I know the material, but when I take the test I go blank!”
Procrastination: Problem or Plus?
Stressed Out Over Studying? Tests?
Improving Your Concentration
Books to improve study skills that
are available at the Counseling Services client library:
Ellis, D. B., (1986). Becoming a
master student (5th edition). Rapid City, SD: College Survival.
Kiewra, K. A. & Dubois, N. F.
(1998).Learning to learn: making the transition from student to lifelong
learner. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn& Bacon.
