Letter from NCLD (LD News: June 2007)

Dear Supporters and Constituents,

Transition brings with it a wide array of emotions -- anxiety, frustration, and confusion, to name a few -- for both parents and children. These feelings can be particularly overwhelming for individuals with learning disabilities, for whom the ordinary strains of job hunting, interacting with employers and co-workers, and finding colleges and training programs, overlap with the struggle they face every day.

NCLD is working to help ease the transition. For last month's LD Talk, we welcomed Anne Ford, NCLD's chairman emeritus and author of two books on her experiences as the mother of a daughter with LD. In their questions for Ms. Ford, parents expressed deep concern about their adult children's social and professional isolation stemming from weak social skills after their IEPs are removed, and about how parents can support them as they search for a job and how to help assure that their children don't lose their job after being hired. Ms. Ford discussed the ways in which parents can help young adult children use the skills they have and develop new skills to be independent and successful.

In addition to the archived transcript of this LD Talk, NCLD has developed a landing page where parents and students can go for help in making this time a positive and truly successful next step. Included on this site are resources from the October 2006 Addressing Achievement Gaps: Students with Learning Disabilities Transitioning from High School to College Symposium. For the symposium, NCLD collaborated with ETS to bring together key experts and researchers in the field, educators, college admissions professionals, advocates, parents, and students to discuss possible solutions for success after high school. In addition to this valuable information, NCLD has gathered research, policy and advocacy information, and a host of resources to support your efforts in making a successful transition.

We hope this information helps to smooth the shift that you or your child may face after high school, and we will continue to work toward easing transitions like these that are of particular importance to those who struggle with LD.

Warm regards,

James H. Wendorf
Executive Director
National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. 

The National Center for Learning Disabilities is listed by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All gifts made to NCLD are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. I hope that you consider making a contribution to NCLD today and thank you in advance for your generosity. NCLD greatly appreciates your support of our work!