Learning Disabilities Resources

• Safe Return to School For All summarizes current evidence and best practices to help administrators, educators, and families and students—including students with disabilities—return to school safely in the context of COVID-19. The information provided is based on collaborative research from the NICHD-funded Washington University Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Institute of Human Development, and the Kennedy Krieger Institute (Maryland), in collaboration with the Special School District of St. Louis County, Missouri.
• U.S. Department of Education
  The Department of Education maintains resources for parents, including:
  • A Guide to the Individualized Education Program
  • My Child’s Special Needs
• Learning Disabilities Association of America 
  The association maintains information for parents, teachers, and others, including the following resources:
  • Support and Resources for Parents 
  • Early Intervention 
  • Special Education 
  • Beyond the Classroom 
  • Support and Resources for Adults with LD 
• National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) 
  The center’s website includes information for parents and for young adults with learning disabilities.
  • The State of Learning Disabilities: Facts, Trends, and Emerging Issues 
  • Understood  , an NCLD website that brings together a variety of partners and resources for parents of children with learning disabilities
  • Evaluations 
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) 
  ASHA provides information about learning disabilities. It also offers a searchable list of professionals  who specialize in speech-language problems.
• Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) 
  CHADD is a nonprofit organization serving individuals with ADHD and their families.
• International Dyslexia Association (IDA) 
  IDA is a scientific and educational organization dedicated to the study and treatment of dyslexia and related language-based learning differences.
• LD OnLine 
  This site provides information about dyslexia, attention disorders, and other learning disabilities.
• Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA) 
  LDA is a volunteer organization with state and local affiliates.
• Center for Parent Information and Resources 
  The Network runs local Parent Centers  that provide training and help for families of children with disabilities. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the centers offer a variety of services, including one-to-one support and assistance, workshops, and publications.

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.

• NICHD resources:
  • Child Development and Behavior Branch (CDBB)
    The branch develops scientific initiatives and supports research and research training relevant to the psychological, psychobiological, language, behavioral, and educational development of children.
    • Reading, Writing, and Related Learning Disabilities Program
      This NICHD program, supported by CDBB, focuses on research and training to increase understanding of both normal and atypical development of reading and writing skills throughout life. This research is complemented by the Early Learning and School Readiness and Language, Bilingualism, and Biliteracy research programs.
  • Learning Disabilities Research Centers (LDRC) Consortium
    NICHD funds several sites to conduct research on the causes and developmental course of learning disabilities. Learn more about LDRC topic areas and sites.
  • NICHD's Learning Disabilities Innovation Hubs (LD Hubs)
    The LD Hubs support studies on the causes, signs, and treatments of learning disabilities that affect reading, writing, and mathematics. They focus on understudied topics and populations.
  • National Reading Panel 
    In response to a congressional request, in 1997, NICHD and the U.S. Department of Education created the National Reading Panel to review the scientific evidence on reading and identify the most effective ways to teach children to read. The Panel's report noted that children who received explicit instruction in specific components of reading were more successful readers than those who did not receive such instruction. View a list of publications from the National Reading Panel, including its final reports.
  • National Early Literacy Panel (NELP)
    NELP was convened in 2002 to review research on the development of early literacy skills in children up to 5 years old. The panel included NICHD and several other public and private organizations, and its findings contributed to educational policy and helped determine how teachers and families can support young children's language development. Read the panel's report.
• Institute of Education Sciences (IES)
  IES provides the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), a source of scientific evidence for what works in education. The WWC Evidence Review Protocol for Beginning Reading Interventions focuses on reading interventions for students in grades K–3. It is meant to increase skills in a child's ability to associate letters and sounds and to develop reading fluency and comprehension. IES is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Education. Read the Beginning Reading Interventions report (PDF 236 KB).
• National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) 
  The center offers resources for health care providers and for educators.
• International Dyslexia Association (IDA) 
  IDA is a scientific and educational organization dedicated to the study and treatment of dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. It offers practice standards and information about effective programs.
  • Read the association's Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading .

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.