LD is an enduring condition with manifestations that vary across individuals and over time. While the condition doesn't go away (or get fixed) its academic impact and emotional complications can be significantly ameliorated.

Students with LD have the common need for focused, intensive, and consistent instruction in more than one area of basic academic skill. In addition, many of them have a striking lack of general knowledge, with great curiosity. They are lively kids with IQ's in the normal range. Each student needs concepts to be recycled, vocabulary to be clarified, an extraordinary amount of focused practice and frequent help extracting what's important. Each student must put in 2-3 times the time and effort as their classmates to achieve an adequate level of performance.

In order to develop long-term coping skills, students with LD need "significant others" to show them enduring understanding and encouragement. As the demands of each grade level change over the years, students are posed with new obstacles and need to rely not only on hard won skills, but also a willingness to identify trouble spots, seek help, and use available supports, including compensations. They will need to understand themselves well, to make adequate progress. The set up/environment of classrooms profoundly affects how and whether students with LD will thrive. For this reason, it is important for parents, teachers, and school systems to gauge particular environments for particular students, remembering that needs shift with age and other developments.

• Instructional and institutional flexibility
• Respect for a student’s distinctive pace of learning
• Recognition that learning takes place both in school and in the community
• A respect for individual difference in a community setting

Assessment

• Administer nonbiased formal and informal assessment
• Use assessment information in making eligibility, program, and placement decisions for individuals with learning needs

Instruction

• Use of strategies to prepare individuals to live harmoniously and productively
• Develop and select instructional content, resources and strategies
• Impact of learners’ academic and social abilities, attitudes, interests, values of instruction
• Create a safe, equitable, positive, and supportive learning environment which diversities are valued
• Organize, develop, and sustain learning environments which support the various grade levels
• Enhance students’ overall capacities (academic, vocational, social skills)
• Establish collaboration among families, students and professionals