Learning Disabilities Checklist

Most people have problems with learn- NCLD’s mission is to ensure success for all individuals with learning
ing and behavior from time to time. Dur- disabilities in school, at work, and in life:
ing the school years, parents and educators G
Connecting parents and others with resources, guidance, and support so they can advocate
should be on the alert for consistent (and effectively for their children.
G
persistent) patterns of difficulty that children Delivering evidence-based tools, resources, and professional development to educators to
and adolescents may experience over time as improve student outcomes.
G
Developing policies and engage advocates to strengthen educational rights and opportunities.
they may signal an underlying learning dis-
ability (LD). While variations in the course of
Domains and Behaviors
Areas with a box (KZ indicates a characteristic is more likely to apply at that stage of life.
development are to be expected, unevenness
or lags in the mastery of skills and behaviors,
even with children as young as 4 or 5, should Check all that apply.
not be ignored. And because LD can co-occur

Kindergarten

High School
with other disorders, it’s important to keep

Grades 1-4

Grades 5-8
Pre-School

and Adult
careful and complete records of observations
and impressions so they can be shared among
parents, educators and related service Gross and Fine Motor Skills
providers when making important decisions
about needed services and supports.
Appears awkward and clumsy, dropping, spilling, or knocking things over K K
Has limited success with games and activities that demand eye-hand
coordination (e.g., piano lessons, basketball, baseball) K K K
K K
Keep in mind that LD is a term that de-
scribes a heterogeneous (“mixed bag”) Has trouble with buttons, hooks, snaps, zippers, and learning to tie shoes
group of disorders that impact listening,
Creates art work that is immature for age K K
K K
speaking, reading, writing, reasoning,
Demonstrates poor ability to color or write “within the lines”

K K K K
math, and social skills. And remember:
learning disabilities do not go away! A learn- Grasps pencil awkwardly, resulting in poor handwriting

K K
ing disability is not something that can be out-
Experiences difficulty using small objects or items that demand precision (e.g.,
grown or that is “cured” by medication, Legos, puzzle pieces, tweezers, scissors)

K K K
therapy, or expert tutoring. So, early recogni-
Dislikes and avoids writing / drawing tasks
tion of warning signs, well-targeted screening
and assessment, effective intervention, and
K
Language
ongoing monitoring of progress are critical to

K K K K
Demonstrates early delays in learning to speak
helping individuals with LD to succeed in

K K
Has difficulty modulating voice (e.g., too soft, too loud)
school, in the workplace, and in life.
Has trouble naming people or objects
The following checklist is designed as a K K
K K K
Has difficulty staying on topic
helpful guide and not as a tool to pin-

K K K
Inserts invented words into conversation
point specific learning disabilities. The
Has difficulty re-telling what has just been said

K K K K
more characteristics you check, the more
likely that the individual described is at risk Uses vague, imprecise language and has a limited vocabulary

K K K K
for (or shows signs of) learning disabilities. Demonstrates slow and halting speech, using lots of fillers (e.g., uh, um, and,

K K K
When filling out this form, think about the you know, so)
person’s behavior over at least the past six Uses poor grammar or misuses words in conversation

K K K
months. And when you’re done, don’t
Mispronounces words frequently

K K K
wait to seek assistance from school
personnel or other professionals. Confuses words with others that sound similar

Sheldon H. Horowitz, Ed.D.

Inserts malapropisms (“slips of the tongue”) into conversation (e.g., a rolling stone
gathers no moths; he was a man of great statue) K K K
K K
Director of LD Resources &
Has difficulty rhyming

K K K
Essential Information,
NCLD Has limited interest in books or stories

Has difficulty understanding instructions or directions K K K K

Has trouble understanding idioms, proverbs, colloquialisms, humor, and/or puns
(note: take into account regional and cultural factors) K K K
For more information visit

K K K
Has difficulty with pragmatic skills (e.g., understanding the relationship
our websites: www.LD.org;
between speaker and listener, staying on topic, gauging the listener’s degree of
www.GetReadytoRead.org;
knowledge, making inferences based on a speaker’s verbal and non-verbal cues)
www.RTINetwork.org
 © 2011, The National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. Permission is granted to reprint material for noncommercial purposes. Citation of NCLD as a source is required.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten

High School
High School

Grades 1-4

Grades 5-8
Grades 1-4

Grades 5-8

Pre-School
Pre-School

and Adult
and Adult
K K
Reading Math

K K
Has difficulty with simple counting and one-to-one

K
Confuses similar-looking letters and numbers
correspondence between number symbols and items /

K K K
Has difficulty recognizing and remembering sight words objects
Has difficulty mastering number knowledge
K K K
K K K
Frequently loses place while reading
(e.g., recognition of quantities without counting)

K K K K K
Confuses similar-looking words (e.g., beard/bread)
Has difficulty with learning and memorizing basic

K K K K
Reverses letter order in words (e.g., saw/was) addition and subtraction facts
Demonstrates poor memory for printed words Has difficulty learning strategic counting principles
K K K
K K K K
(e.g., by 2, 5, 10, 100)
Has weak comprehension of ideas /themes

K K K
Poorly aligns numbers resulting in computation errors

K K K
K K
Has significant trouble learning to read
Has difficulty estimating (e.g., quantity, value)

K K K
Has trouble naming letters
Has difficulty with comparisons (e.g., less than,

K K
Has problems associating letter and sounds,

K K K K
greater than)
understanding the difference between sounds
Has trouble telling time

K K K K
in words or blending sounds into words

K K K
Guesses at unfamiliar words rather than using word Has trouble conceptualizing passage of time

K K K K
K K K
analysis skills
Has difficulty counting rapidly or making calculations

K K K K K
Reads slowly
Has trouble learning multiplication tables, formulas,

K K K K K
Substitutes or leaves out words while reading and rules
Has poor retention of new vocabulary Has trouble interpreting graphs and charts
Dislikes and avoids reading or reads reluctantly K K K K Social/Emotional
Written Language
K K K
K K K K
Does not pick up on other people’s moods / feelings

K K K
(e.g., may say the wrong thing at the wrong time)
Dislikes and avoids writing and copying

K K
May not detect or respond appropriately to teasing
Demonstrates delays in learning to copy and write
Has messy and incomplete writing, with many “cross
K K K
Has difficulty “joining in” and maintaining positive
social status in a peer group K K K K
K
outs” and erasures

K K
Has difficulty remembering shapes of letters and Has trouble knowing how to share/express feelings

K K K K
numerals
Has trouble “getting to the point” (e.g., gets bogged
Frequently reverses letters, numbers, and symbols

K K
down in details in conversation)
Uses uneven spacing between letters and words, and has
K K K Has difficulty with self-control when frustrated

K K K
trouble staying “on the line”

K K K
Has difficulty dealing with group pressure,
Copies inaccurately (e.g., confuses similar-looking embarrassment, and unexpected challenges

K K
letters and numbers)
Has trouble setting realistic social goals
Spells poorly and inconsistently (e.g., the same word
appears differently other places in the same document) K K K Has trouble evaluating personal social strengths
K K
K K K
and challenges
Has difficulty proofreading and self-correcting work Doubts own abilities and prone to attribute successes
K K
K K
to luck or outside influences rather than hard work
Has difficulty preparing outlines and organizing written
Other
K K K
assignments

K K
Fails to develop ideas in writing so written work is Confuses left and right

K K
incomplete and too brief

K K
Has a poor sense of direction; is slow to learn the
way around a new place; is easily lost or confused
Expresses written ideas in a disorganized way
in unfamiliar surroundings
Attention Finds it hard to judge speed and distance (e.g., hard
K K
K K
to play certain games, drive a car)

K K
Fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless
mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities Has trouble reading charts and maps
Has difficulty sustaining attention in work tasks or
K K K K Is disorganized and poor at planning K K
K K K
play activities
Does not follow through on instructions and fails to
K K K Often loses things

K K K
finish schoolwork, chores, or duties in the workplace

K K K
Is slow to learn new games and master puzzles

K K
Has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
Has difficulty listening and taking notes at the same

K K K
Avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in time

K K K
tasks that require sustained mental effort such
Performs inconsistently on tasks from one day to
as homework and organizing work tasks
the next

K K K K K K
Loses things consistently that are necessary for tasks / Has difficulty generalizing (applying) skills from one
activities (e.g., toys, school assignments, pencils, situation to another

K K K
books, or tools)
National Center for Learning Disabilities
Is easily distracted by outside influences

K K K
381 Park Avenue South, Suite 1401
Is forgetful in daily/routine activities New York, NY 10016-8806
(212) 545-7510 • (888) 575-7373 • www.LD.org