What about questions that seem too invasive?

Some of the questions that are part of screening tools might seem too invasive to practitioners and learners. However, it is important to note that these questions are significant to the screening process because they may help to point towards a possible learning disability. Practitioners should be advised that they should pay attention to the learner - if he or she finds these questions too invasive, then simply move on to something else.

Also, it is by no means necessary to require formal documents to support any of the information you ask about. Consider this example from Jennifer Hunt:

" I once had a learner disclose that he had ADHD. The next day he brought in a copy of a psych assessment for our files. I told him that it wasn't necessary for us to have this information and I also spoke to him about privacy issues because this assessment also included information about criminal activities and other very personal information that I did not need to know."

However, it is important to ask some of the questions used in screening tools even though they may at first appear to be somewhat invasive - even if they are not indicators of learning disabilities, they can point to other possible reasons why the learner struggles with learning. If screening moves on to diagnostic assessment, this information can help in that evaluation.

For instance, learning disabilities are sometimes genetic, so if a learner indicates that there is a family history of learning disabilities, this is significant information. If a learner tells you this, you may want to seek out more information. You could ask them, for example, what kind of problems the family member had with reading, writing or math. Individuals who indicate a family history of learning disabilities or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are more likely to have learning disabilities themselves. In fact, research shows that adult learners who have learning disabilities often report that their children have been identified by the school system as requiring additional support services.

Some medical questions that are used in screening tools can reveal other important information. For instance, individuals who have a history of difficulty in developing early language skills may indicate a possible learning disability. Also, some screening tools may ask questions related to premature birth, low birth weight or respiratory distress. It is important to note that each of these instances could be a high risk factor for the development of learning disabilities.