Identifying Learning Disabilities in the Classroom: Signs and Symptoms Teachers Should Look For
- Toby Overstreet
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
This article is for general information only. It is not professional advice. If you have concerns about a student, please talk to your school's special education team or a licensed specialist.
Every classroom has a story. And some students are quietly asking for help.
Maybe it's the student who stares at the page long after everyone else has moved on. Or the one who can talk brilliantly about a topic but freezes when there's a worksheet. Or the child who seems "checked out" — until you try a hands-on activity, and suddenly they're engaged.
These students are not lazy. They are not difficult. They may have a learning disability that no one has found yet.
Teachers who work with Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) students and neurodivergent learners need to know the signs. Not because a label matters — but because the right support changes everything.
Why Finding It Early Matters
The numbers are eye-opening.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2024), 7.5 million students in the U.S. received special education services in 2022–23. That's 15% of all public school students. Learning disabilities are the most common category, making up 32% of all students served.
And yet, research estimates that about 40% of learning disabilities worldwide are never found. The Learning Disabilities Association of America reports that students whose learning disabilities go unidentified drop out of high school at nearly three times the rate of their peers.
Here's another important fact: only 30% of general education teachers feel confident teaching students with learning disabilities. That's not a criticism — it's a call for more support and information.
What About Deaf Students?
For Deaf and hard-of-hearing students, this issue is even bigger.
A 2023 study in the American Annals of the Deaf (Peterson et al.) found that nearly 65% of DHH students were getting special education services for a disability on top of their hearing loss. Research by Guardino & Cannon, published in Education Sciences (2019), puts the range at 25% to 51% of Deaf students having one or more additional disabilities.
There's a term for what often happens next: diagnostic overshadowing. This is when a student's hearing loss gets all the attention — and a second disability gets missed. Researchers Bowen & Probst described this in a 2023 Education Sciences study. Because hearing loss and learning disabilities can look similar, teachers and evaluators sometimes assume everything is caused by the hearing loss. But that's not always the full picture.
The National Deaf Center (2023) found that only 57.3% of deaf young people with an additional disability finished high school, compared to 70.7% of deaf young people without an additional disability. Finding these challenges early makes a real difference.
As one Deaf community member shared: "Teachers assumed everything I struggled with was because of my hearing. It wasn't until college that someone finally looked deeper and realized there was more going on."
What Are the Signs?
Learning disabilities affect how the brain takes in, stores, and uses information. They have nothing to do with how smart someone is. In fact, most people with learning disabilities score in the average or above-average range on IQ tests.
Here are the main signs to look for.
Reading and Writing Struggles
This is often the first sign teachers notice. Dyslexia affects about 1 in 10 people worldwide and is the most common learning disability.
Look for:
Slow or difficult reading
Mixing up letters or words
Big gaps between how well a student talks vs. how well they write
Spelling that is inconsistent, even for familiar words
For Deaf students, this can be tricky. Reading struggles might look like they're caused by hearing loss — but they could also point to dyslexia. Guardino & Cannon (Education Sciences, 2019) found that Deaf students with a learning disability face challenges from both at the same time. A student who signs fluently in ASL may still struggle with written English because of dyslexia, not just their hearing.
Math Struggles
Dyscalculia is a learning disability that affects math. It affects an estimated 2–8% of children.
Look for:
Trouble remembering basic math facts
Confusion with numbers or sequences
Understanding a concept verbally, but getting lost when it's written down
Attention and Focus
Look for:
Difficulty staying on task
Trouble following multi-step directions
Acting out — which may actually be frustration, not behavior problems
For DHH students, this is especially important to watch. Processing sign language or lip reading, following an interpreter, and keeping up with classroom discussion all take a lot of mental energy. When a learning disability is added to that, it can become overwhelming fast.
Memory and Processing
Look for:
Learning something one day and seeming to forget it the next
Struggling to follow instructions when too many are given at once
Taking much longer than peers to process information
This is not laziness. This is a brain working hard in a different way.
Writing by Hand
Dysgraphia affects the physical act of writing. It affects an estimated 7–15% of children.
Look for:
Very messy handwriting
Writing that is much weaker than their spoken or signed communication
Tiring quickly during writing tasks
For Deaf students with physical co-occurring disabilities, Guardino & Cannon (Education Sciences, 2019) note that fine motor challenges can affect both signing and written work.
When Should You Refer a Student?
One sign alone does not mean a learning disability. Look for a pattern — challenges that keep showing up, across different subjects and different settings.
Ask yourself:
Does this student still struggle even with full visual access?
Is there a big gap between what they seem to know and what they can show on paper?
Have other teachers noticed the same things?
If yes, start documenting and talk to your special education team.
Simple ways to document:
Write brief, dated notes about what you observed
Note what you already tried and how the student responded
Track whether the struggles are in one area or many
For DHH students: note whether an interpreter, captions, or visual supports were available when the struggles happened
Important: Teachers observe and refer. Only qualified professionals — like school psychologists or educational specialists — can formally evaluate or diagnose a learning disability.
What Can Teachers Do Right Now?
You don't have to wait for a formal diagnosis to start helping. Many simple strategies work well for all students — including DHH and neurodivergent learners.
Use visuals. Graphic organizers, visual schedules, and demonstrations help students who struggle with reading or listening. They also help DHH students who rely on visual information.
Give students options. Let students show what they know in different ways — through drawing, talking, signing, video, or hands-on projects. Not just written tests.
Use technology. Text-to-speech, speech-to-text, captions, and graphic organizer apps can make a big difference. Bowen & Probst (Education Sciences, 2023) found that assistive technology helps DHH students with disabilities participate more fully and independently.
Keep routines clear. Predictable schedules and step-by-step visual instructions reduce stress and help students focus on learning instead of just trying to keep up.
Work with your team. Special education teachers, audiologists, DHH specialists, and school psychologists are there to help. Don't try to figure it all out alone.
As one parent of a Deaf student with ADHD shared: "My son was labeled as a behavior problem for two years before anyone thought to look at whether he might have ADHD or a processing disorder. He wasn't a problem — he was a kid who needed something different."
Every Student Deserves to Be Seen
Learning disabilities are real. They are not a choice. And with the right support, students with learning disabilities can and do thrive.
For Deaf and neurodivergent students, teachers need to look a little deeper. Hearing loss does not explain everything. A student who is Deaf and also has dyslexia needs help with both — and those two things can affect each other in ways that need careful, individual planning.
The most important thing? See the whole student. Not just the struggle. Not just the label. The person. Because every student who is working hard deserves a teacher who is willing to look closer.
OULDHH.org creates educational resources for the Deaf and neurodivergent community. This article is for general information only and is not professional advice. If you have concerns about a student, please reach out to a qualified professional in your school or district.
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