As literacy practitioners, we are aware of the many lifelong obstacles that trouble individuals with learning disabilities. Although some people think that learning disabilities only affect individuals in an educational construct, we know how much it can impact work, friendship, learning, self-esteem and daily life. Employment problems can cause considerable stress for adults with learning disabilities. Some learners often reveal gruelling stories of chronic unemployment and especially underemployment. Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information available in order to help these learners because the problems these individuals have with employment are not widely publicized.

The following is a summary of research studies that have been administered with high school and college students with LD. They show the following:

• Many lacked clear understanding of their disability and its impact on career choices and ability to perform a job (Hitchings and Re tish 2000).
• Restricted early opportunities, dependence on family, and experiences of academic failure may lead to low self-esteem and limited self-knowledge (Michaels 1997).
• Type and severity of disability, amount of time spent on remediation, parental overprotectiveness, and low expectations may limit opportunities for career exploration (Hitchings and Retish 2000).
• Adolescents with LD were more likely to limit their educational and occupational aspirations; aspirations for postsecondary education "did not necessarily translate into comparable occupational aspirations" (Rojewski 1996, p. 474).
• Many youth with LD had unrealistic career ambitions or no ambitions. Those with realistic ambitions seldom acquired the education or training that would prepare them for those jobs (Kortering and Braziel 2000).
• Not all who were eligible were involved in comprehensive transition planning in high school, sometimes because of the timing of onset or identification of their disability (Hitchings and Retish 2000).
• About one in three dropped out of high school, but those who took occupationally oriented courses were significantly less likely to drop out (Blackorby and Wagner 1997).
• A large number were not actively engaged in career development and believed they had little control over career decision making (ibid.)²