Summary of key points


"We may not have the answers for the people we serve, but we can listen and listen and listen until we understand. We can examine possibilities and resources and share them. We can care deeply. We can move into new ways of doing things. We can connect with them and give them hope. And we may be the only people that ever have."87

  • Learning disabilities are a breakdown in adults' auditory, visual and/or organizational processing
  • Learning disabilities can range from mild to severe
  • Individual life experiences and emotional and economic supports can influence the impact of a learning disability
  • Adults with learning disabilities can experience success when they understand their disabilities and when they are active partners in the goal setting and learning process
  • Diagnosing adults with learning disabilities is not the role of practitioners, but helping learners to understand their strengths and weaknesses is appropriate
  • Focus equally on learners' academic, self-management, and emotional needs
  • Practitioners need to understand that everyone learns differently and various strategies will work for some and not for others