How do I find out if I have a learning challenge?

If you think you may have a learning challenge, the first step is to get a professional assessment. A qualified professional can determine the source of your difficulty, and work with you to figure out what special learning tools may help you overcome it. Additionally, if you are diagnosed with a learning disability, schools and programs are required by law to give you special treatment to allow for your special learning needs. This is called giving you an “accommodation.”

Accommodations can include:

    Giving you extra time to take tests;
    Letting you use a calculator; OR
    Providing you with reading or writing assistance.[2748]

If you are currently incarcerated:

    In a federal prison: Federal law requires that if you do not have a high school diploma or GED, you must try to get one while you are incarcerated. Federal facilities will test you for any learning disabilities that might affect your ability to successfully complete a high school degree program.[2749]
    In a California state prison: CDCR does not specifically test for learning disabilities. However, CDCR assumes that you have a learning disability if you get below a certain score on your TABE test (4.0 or below), or if you tell them that you have a learning disability.[2750]
    In a California county jail: Generally, if you get an educational assessment, your facility’s staff will review your results and should be able to determine if you might need a learning disability assessment also.[2751]

If you are formerly incarcerated:

To find a qualified professional in your area who can assess you for a learning disability, check the following resources: [2752]

    California’s Department of Rehabilitation: http://www.rehab.cahwnet.gov/
    Learning Disabilities Association of California: http://www.lda-ca.org/
    Your local community mental health services office: Find an office through the National Mental Health Locator: http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov.
    Your local community college’s Student Services division: A list of community colleges can be found through the American Association of Community Colleges (http://www.aacc.nche.edu)
    Adult literacy and/or education programs at your local public library
    A local private psychologist or psychology clinic
    Your local college or university’s psychology department
    University hospitals and clinics
    For a list of additional community service organizations around California, see PG. 890.
    To learn about additional resources and some scholarships for students with disabilities pursuing college, see https://www.mastersdegree.net/students-with-disabilities/.
  1. 2748

    U.S. Dep’t of Educ. Office of Vocational & Adult Educ., Take Charge of Your Future: Get the Education and Training You Need (2012). ↑

  2. 2749

    Telephone Interview with Roy (last name unknown), Fed. Bureau of Prisons, Industries, Educ., & Vocational Training Div. (Apr. 2, 2015). ↑

  3. 2750

    Cal. Dep’t of Corr. & Rehab., Board of Parole Hearings, ADA Overview—Inmates with Disabilities (Oct. 2013). ↑

  4. 2751

    Telephone Interview with Fred Rutledge, Principal, Alameda County Educational Program (Apr. 2, 2015). ↑

  5. 2752

    Adult Learning Disability Assessment Process, Learning Disabilities Assoc. of America, http://ldaamerica.org/adult-learning-disability-assessment-process/; see also Anna Crayton & Nicole Lindahl, Back to School: A Guide to Continuing Your Education after Prison, Prisoner Reentry Institute, John Jay College of Criminal Justice (2010). ↑