Ways to Help College Students with Learning Disabilities

Learning disabilities are real, and we should not mock those who are suffering from it. In reality, we should be helping them as much as we can. As early as now, we should think that we are living in a society where we help one another, and not competing all the time. And so, if you know someone with learning disabilities, we have here some of the practical ways that could help them.  

Common Learning Disabilities  

Before we jump into our tips, let us talk about the common learning disabilities which can be diagnosed even from a college student.  

Auditory Processing Deficit – Some college students are having a challenging time grasping auditory information.  

Visual Processing Deficit – There are others who could not comprehend visuals when they are trying to learn concepts.  

Dyslexia – This is often associated to reading disabilities. You have probably seen this from movies where a student sees disorderly letters instead of a normal-looking one. Hence, they could not understand what they are reading.  

Dyscalculia – It is real that there are people having challenges with numbers or math.  

Dysgraphia – While not commonly discussed, there are some students that are having a tough time writing.  

According to studies, there are 200,000 students going to college that have learning disabilities. This means, it is common, and we should address it.  

Do Not Judge People with Learning Disabilities  

First, you should never judge a person just because they are suffering from some type of learning disabilities. It is not their fault and you should not treat them any less.  

If they share that they are suffering from a learning disability, this means they trust you so much. And you should value that. You can offer assistance or direct them to a professional so they could seek better help.  

Help Them Build Confidence  

More often than not, college students with learning disabilities have low self-esteem and confidence. As a friend, you need to highlight what they are good at. For example, they are extremely good at arts. Genuinely compliment them. Or perhaps, encourage them to try out different things where they can reach a different milestone. The sense of carrying out something successfully can bring great things to them. You can try learning new crafts or trying out new sports with them so they can reach a different level of confidence.   

Introduce Them to Support Groups 

As we’ve mentioned, having a learning disability is not an isolated case. And there are a lot of online groups where you could join. These groups comprise of professionals and those who suffer from different learning disabilities.   

You can help in looking for groups and encourage those who have learning disabilities to join. That way, they could get practical tips on how to deal with their challenges.  

Be Patient 

You also have to be patient with college students with learning disabilities. Naturally, it can get frustrating seeing other students getting the lessons right away, while you on the other hand could not comprehend what seems to be simple for many. This could stress them out and again, they will doubt themselves. You have to understand them and extend your patience.    

Relay the Instructions Differently  

If they are not able to understand the directions, it does not mean that they have low IQ. Perhaps, they need a different content to further understand what they have to do. In this case, you can help them determine the office hours of your professor so they can relay their specific issues. Simply put, know what works for them.  

Recommend Apps to Help Them Study 

Fortunately, a lot of people understand that learning disabilities exist. And apart from acknowledging it, they are using the technology to make learning easier for them. There are now apps such as Ideament or Ghotit Real Writer especially made to simplify concepts.  

We have to say, there’s still more room for apps similar to what we have mentioned. But hopefully, more people will be engaged to create tools that can make learning easier.  

It is possible for students with learning disabilities to succeed in life. Yet again, one must acknowledge that they need help. This is so they can use the right tools and be able to adapt to lessons being taught to them. As for you, your support can help them big time.