Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training

Learning disability is the result of nervous system dysfunction which may cause the learner to receive and process some information inaccurately. The most common learning disability found in the tertiary environment is dyslexia. Other learning disabilities are dysgraphia and aphasia. 

Research indicates that at least 5% of tertiary level students have a learning disability which can cause significant difficulties in perceiving and/or processing auditory, visual or spatial information. Manifestations of the disability may vary somewhat over time. Many students who have been diagnosed as learning disabled in childhood have already established avoidance or protective or compensatory strategies to minimise the impact of the disability. However, these strategies may not necessarily be appropriate at university.

Learning disability is often considered as a ‘hidden’ disability. Often the first indication for staff will be a discrepancy between the knowledge or ability a student demonstrates in class or in discussion, and results on written assignments or in examinations.

While it is never desirable to generalise about any disability or to rely on stereotypes, there are a number of characteristics considered common to students with a learning disability.  Difficulties resulting from errors in perceiving and processing information are manifested particularly in written work:  through unusual and inconsistent spellings; reversals or transpositions of letters in words, or of numbers in figures, formulae, dates; omission of parts of words or sentences, or omission of auxiliary words, pronouns and prepositions; and lack of proper order or demonstrated sequence in writing and mathematical calculations

The resource Teaching Students who have a learning disability contains information on:

• The impact of learning disability on learning at university
• Communicating with students with a learning disability
• Teaching students with a learning disability
• Assessment strategies

The Opening All Options II  website provides information and resources about learning disabilities (LD).