Learning Disability Evaluation Process

LEARNING DISABILITY EVALUATIONS

Evaluations for learning disabilities assess a person's cognitive abilities, information processing, academic achievement, and may assess for other concerns or disabilities as well, such as ADHD, PTSD, and other areas of mental or physical health. Learning disability evaluations must be conducted by a professional who is licensed or certified by the state of California and has specific training and expertise in this area. Such professionals include clinical psychologists, neuropsychologists, school or educational psychologists, some psychiatrists, and learning disabilities specialists. People with learning disabilities often struggle with other issues such as anxiety and attention challenges. Therefore, comprehensive evaluations are sometimes needed to distinguish the different challenges a person experiences and to develop a plan to support them with study skills, therapy, or other interventions. The evaluations can be expensive, ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Evaluations for learning disabilities and related disorders are often conducted in Kindergarten through 12th grade by the school system and less often through a person's health insurance. They may also be done by the Regional Center (San Andreas RC in our area) or the Department of Rehabilitation of the state of California. Some unversities and most community colleges also offer evaluations. 

 

LEARNING DISABILITY EVALUATIONS AT CABRILLO

The ASC provides Learning Disability evaluations for students who are appropriate, have no record of a previous learning disability diagnosis and who need ASC accommodations and services for academic success. The purpose of the evaluation is to determine eligibility for disability-related services based upon an LD for the California Community Colleges. The LD Specialist will evaluate for eligibility and will not provide a formal diagnosis. The evaluation will only be for learning disabilities and will not be for other disorders such as ADHD. If students need a more comprehensive evaluation for multiple disorders, they may need to seek an evaluation outside of Cabrillo and the ASC faculty can help with referrals.

 

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Watch this 8:21 minute video about the LD evaluation process Links to an external site. at Cabrillo College. 

 

LD Specialists offer individual and group LD Orientations and screening to determine if an LD evaluation is appropriate and recommended. Students interested in an evaluation should schedule an appointment for an LD Orientation. If the Orientation and screening reveals that testing is recommended, the student makes a series of appointments for the evaluation. The evaluations are free to the student. Students meet individually with an LD Specialist for most appointments, and there may be one small group appointment. At each meeting, the student participates in a number of short tests to evaluate a student's strengths and weaknesses in a variety of cognitive abilities, information processing abilities, and areas of academic achievement. At times, for reasons beyond ASC staff control, there is a waiting list for evaluations. The evaluation itself is directly associated with the definition of a learning disability; that is, the testing must reveal:

  • Average to above average intellectual ability;
  • A severe processing deficit (a problem in the manner in which a person takes in information, retains it, or expresses information, in written or oral form), and/or
  • A severe aptitude-achievement discrepancy (a major difference between what the tests predict the student should be achieving and what they are actually achieving).

The assessment process takes about 8 to 11 hours, requiring several appointments. This includes a final session during which the results are explained and recommendations are made. In order to qualify for ASC services based upon an LD, a student must meet the criteria listed above or, with substantial additional evidence, a Learning Disability Specialist can make what is called a “professional certification” for services. If a student does not qualify for services, the Learning Disabilities Specialist will help the student with study strategies and try to find other resources which will help the student. If the student does qualify for services, an individualized Academic Accommodation Plan (AAP) is formulated with the student, which lists accommodations and services to help the student reach his or her educational or career goal.

 

TRANSFERRING RECORDS

If a student participates in a Learning Disability Evaluation at Cabrillo, the student can sign a Release of Information if they would like Cabrillo to send summary records to another college or university. Students eligible for accommodations and services based upon an LD evaluation done at Cabrillo will be eligible at all other California Community Colleges. Other colleges and universities have their own eligibility guidelines and may or may not extend the same accommodations and services based upon the Cabrillo evaluation. While we cannot guarantee that other colleges or universities or high stakes exams, such as the board exams for Nursing or Medical Assisting, will honor our eligibility documentation, in most cases students are successful in getting the accommodations they need when they transfer or take exams. The Cabrillo LD Specialists are ready to provide advocacy and support to students trying to navigate this process.