A person with learning disabilities may have differences in how they remember, understand, and express information.
- Neurological condition that interferes with the ability to store, process, or produce information.
- Affects the ability to read, write, speak, spell, compute math, and reason.
- Affects attention, memory, and social skills.
- Must have significant impact on academic progress to be characterized a disability.
What might a student with a learning disability experience?
- May continue to spell incorrectly
- May avoid reading and writing tasks
- May have difficulty summarizing
- May have challenges with math yet excel in other subjects
- May have difficulty with memorizing multiplication tables
- May have weak memory skills
- May work slowly
- May misread information
If you suspect you have learning disabilities, or have prior documentation, please come to our office to discuss the next appropriate step for you.
Getting Started
Students with prior testing
- Submit the SAS Program Application and contact SAS to schedule an initial appointment with a Learning Disability Specialist
- Submit current Learning Disabilities (LD) testing records to SAS sas@miracosta.edu.
- Make an appointment to see a SAS Counselor or Learning Disability Specialist to establish accommodations.
- If you meet the California Community College Learning Disabilities Criteria, you will be eligible to receive academic accommodations
Students without prior testing/verification
- Submit the SAS Program Application and contact SAS to schedule an initial appointment with a Learning Disability Specialist.
- If recommended, complete the Learning Disability (LD) evaluation process
- After the assessment, a complete review of the test results will be provided.
- If you meet the California Community College Learning Disabilities Criteria, you will be eligible to receive academic accommodations.
General Guidelines
- The LD Assessment is informative about students learning process and can give insight into best strategies for learning.
- Protected private medical information that the student controls. This process is voluntary, the student can choose what supports and accommodations they wish to utilize and who they want to share this information with.
- LD Assessments are offered at no cost for our MiraCosta students.
- Learning Disability Assessment results will not reflect on any school transcripts.
The assessment tools used include surveys of previous educational and medical history, as well as measures of aptitude and academic achievement levels. The assessments focus on areas of thinking connected to learning.
- Cognitive Processing
- Problem solving
- Verbal ability
- Memory
- Visual and auditory processing
- Academic Skills
- Basic skills
- Fluency
- Comprehension
- Composition
Educational limitations are determined by looking at areas of strength and weakness. The assessment that is done in the community colleges qualifies a student for academic accommodations and other services related to LD; it is not a diagnosis of Learning Disability. For additional information, please contact Student Accessibility Services at 760.795.6658.