More than any other disability, learning disability (LD) dominates discussions with HEATH staff on the telephone and through mail inquiries. There is increasing interest in students with LD who attend selective colleges and universities, as well as graduating seniors, in many types of colleges, who are eager to continue on to graduate school or one of the professions (law, medicine, business). The following case study and remarks from the field illustrate the range of issues involved in the subject.

A Case Study
On admission to a selective independent university in the west, Sally identified herself to the Disability Services Offices as someone who might need some assistance "because of a vision impairment." An able and self-possessed, conscientious student, she had pride in her ability to develop strategies for coping; she was not requesting services. In the spring of her freshman year, however, sally asked tentatively if she could try recorded texts. She reported that her sister had a learning disability and used recorded texts. Sally had found these helpful during high school, but (she later acknowledged) her pride had kept her from investigating whether she too had dyslexia as well as partial vision.
Although documentation is usually required before responding to such a request. the coordinator agreed to provide readers immediately and urged testing for LD. When dyslexia was confirmed the recommended accommodations were untimed tests, books on tape, and tutorial-all to address the learning disability. The DSS office, with permission from Sally, called her professors. The physics professor was most reluctant to allow untimed tests, and he questioned the whole philosophy of LD accommodations. After some discussion, time-and-a-half was agreed upon for the midterm. Sally's results were in the top 10 % of the class, causing the professor to request an immediate conference because Sally had "obviously received unfair advantage" The professor began a resistive process to get a faculty committee to back his right to maintain high standards. kidsource