Is there a test I can do myself?

[thowell]

I strongly suspect that sdd11 has a LD. Is there a test I can give her myself to give me an idea of what may be wrong?

[merry gardens]

Well, that depends on your skills, abilities and financial resources, amoung other things.

Gander Publishing sells various diagnostic tests for professionals and educators. http://www.ganderpublishing.com/Tests.html The tests aren't cheap. If you have some idea about what you think the problem is, you might be able to administer a test at home, but the cost of all the tests typically done by professionals can add up to more than many professional evaluations.

There are also various screenings and descriptions of learning disabilities on various websites, such as Bartons. (If you think dyslexia may be a problem, this site is an excellent resource. http://www.bartonreading.com/) If you have a guess about what the learning disability is, you might try doing a search here at WTM (or the internet in general) to find out more information.

Some children also have more than one learning disability and/or the specific problem may be hard to determine. Some LD
s can overlap with other LD's because they share similar symptoms.

It would be nice if it were as simple as just one quick test that gives a "yes" or "no" answer, but diagnosing a learning disability isn't always that easy. As many parents who have gone through testing with professionals might tell you, finding out specifically what's wrong is a big part of the battle. Even when working with professionals, it can sometimes take time to figure that out. You work with your child and you know your child. If you think there's a learning disability, follow your gut and check it out further based on what you know of where your child struggles.