“How do you know if a learning disability is serious?”

I am sorry for thinking it was your son.
How’s your daughter doing in school. How do you know she has a learning disability. What was the recommendation after her diagnosis. Follow those recommendations if there are any. Otherwise get her tested as I previously indicated. Good luck.

Has your daughter been evaluated by a Learning Specialist? What is her disability? How does it affect her academics in school? The answer to your questions really depends on what it is, and how severe it is, AND if you get her help. The earlier she gets help, the better. Does she have an IEP in school?

The first step would be to get the school psychologist to have her evaluated, then they should give her an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) with appropriate goals for the areas she needs help with....this would be using a reading specialist (if necessary), a Speech and Language Pathologist (if she has a language disorder, i.e., processing), or even an Occupational Therapist to assist with writing skills, if necessary. Depending how old she is, an after school tutor can really help, too.

Best of luck,

Karen Young, MS CCC-SLP

There are lots of different types and degrees of learning disability. It might be specific to certain subject matters in school for example. I don't have a lot of information about your daughter to be able to say how serious it is in her case. But your daughter's school should have a special ed director or someone to speak with about having her assessed for learning challenges. A speech/language assessment may also shed some light on any gaps that can be filled with some support. Speaking to your school's principal or your daughter's teacher might be a good place to start. Public schools are obligated to perform these assessments if you request them. A PsychoEd evaluation may also be helpful. Your pediatrician may have recommendations.