SPRING 2011
RUTGERS LEARNING CENTER
Students who wish to
be screened for a
suspected disability or
to update an existing
diagnosis may do so
at the Rutgers
Learning Center.
LD|ADD|ADHD
SCREENINGS AND SUPPORT
By Al Brown
The Rutgers Learning Center
conducts screenings for students
who wish to determine if they
have a learning disability or
attention disorder or who want to
updated a prior diagnosis.
Screenings usually take no
more than 45 minutes and are
conducted in the Bradley Hall
Learning Center where students
complete a set of inventories and
perceptionaires under the
guidance of our center staff.
With a student’s permission,
completed attention disorder
screenings are sent to the
Psychological and Counseling
Center located in Blumenthal
Hall, (973) 353-5805. Counseling
1
Center personnel will then meet
with the student to confirm or
disconfirm the presence of an
attention disorder. Students with
a confirmed attention disorder
may opt to request
accommodations from the
University through the Office of
Disability Services for Students
located in the Paul Robeson
Center, (973) 353-5300.
Again with a student’s
permission and depending on
financial status, completed
learning disability screenings are
sent either to the New Brunswick
Graduate School of Applied and
Professional Psychology or to the
New Jersey City University
Project Mentor Program.
Students with a confirmed
diagnosis of a Learning Disability
may request accommodations
through the Office of Disability
Services for Students.
The Learning Center
provides support to students with
confirmed disability status.
Support includes individualized
and extended tutoring sessions
and academic coaching.
Rutgers Learning Center
Bradley Hall, Room 140
110 Warren Street
Newark NJ, 07102-1808
(973) 353-5608
(973) 353-5825 (fax)
RUTGERSLEARNING CENTER SPRING 2011
“Set your sights high, the higher the better.
Expect the most wonderful things to
happen, not in the future but right now.
Realize that nothing is too good. Allow
absolutely nothing to hamper you or hold
you up in any way.”
EILEEN CADDY
LD|ADD|ADHD
HOW YOU CAN HELP
By Al Brown
Students with diagnosed or undiagnosed attention disorders or
learning disabilities may experience unique problems in a
classroom that inhibit their ability to perform well. Faculty are
in a unique position to observe these students and help them to
seek out campus resources.
Attention disorder is a condition that causes persistent
difficulties of inattention, hyperactivity or impulsivity resulting
in difficulty maintaining sustained mental effort, physical or
mental quiescence or behavioral control. Students with an
untreated attention disorder frequently report that they cannot
follow a lecture or read a book with full comprehension for
extended periods. They often report that they need to take
periodic breaks and experience difficulty completing tasks and
meeting deadlines.
2
Learning disabilities manifest as a significant discrepancy
between overall achievement and success in one or more areas
such as oral or written expression, listening or reading
comprehension and math calculation or reasoning.
Faculty upon noticing that students are exhibiting these
behaviors or reporting these circumstances should suggest that
they seek out campus resources such as the Rutgers Learning
Center, Psychological and Counseling Center, or the Office of
Disability Services for Students.
It is not necessary nor advisable to discuss possible
diagnoses with students. Rather, note the difficulties or
behaviors that are interfering with their performance and
recommend that they seek out one or more of the above
resources. Assure students that their help seeking and any
support provided will be held in strict confidence.