researching adults with learning differences

I am interested in researching adults with learning differences. However the population I want to study are those that have their PhD’s or higher levels of education.
Do you have information on someone who is may be doing this type of education or someone who is interested in this population?
It seems that most research on LD is on children or adults that are having problems getting though the system. However during my earlier research I found there is an entire group of adults on higher levels that have advanced degrees alone with high level positions. I would appreciate any direction you could offer me.

Thanks,
:D

Never mind...I found it.

http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/E/Bradley.D.Elder-1/

The thing is, its not been updated in years. I don't know if the contact info is still correct. I tried goggling him and didn't find anything more current. : (

Barb

You are going to have your work cut out for you identifying this population. These are by definition people with impressive coping skills. Many have never been formally identified with LD, either because they didn't want the label, or because people wouldn't believe it.
Let us know how it goes.

One of my main interests at this time is how supposedly high functioning adults with LD cope. I did research for four years in this area. (For my dissertation) While it is very challenging to find subjects that will talk with you once you do its interesting. (Especially people that have prestigious jobs) At this time I want to find others who are interested in research regarding adults. Most research seems to be focused on children or adults that are not as high functioning. I am not really interested in diagnosing etc. That can be done. Even though many of the adults I spoke said there was little help for them after they were diagnosed. Most said that they had to figure out what to do on their own. Many came very close to losing their jobs especially if they were promoted and of course had to deal with more responsibilities. For example one person was promoted to assist dean. However when he began sending out campus wide emails his writing was so bad he came close to losing his job. He had to learn how to work with this. Now he realized that he was different but was not formally diagnosed with LD until he was 40. With the information I put together I have been able to help many adults and teens with LD. However, I now want to go further and gather more info and update than what I have.

Thanks,

Gisele

Gisele ---
My name is Joe Tag, and I have a part-time office job at Kean University in Union, NJ http://www.kean.edu . I have been tested 5 times in my life for LD issues/problems. My first testing and diagnosis in first grade was Dysgraphia. I was tutored in cursive writing for several years, until 6th grade. Also, I started to typing, and especially in 8th grade.
I am 42, and was in first grade in 1969. In 1976 my family moved to Westfield, New Jersey, and I was put in regular classes, except for one structured "study hall/Resource Room" . This study hall was conducted by a Special Ed. Teacher. My typing activities in doing homework were endorsed. Math homework was always a problem ( quality, then quantity). I graduated from HS in 1981. I've attended 3 colleges, and have had to drop out. I am pretty good on the PC, and have web-authored departmental and professors web pages at Kean U.
I have owned a car. But living independantly is still a problem at times; especially paying the utility bills ( not the rent ) . I get a govt. subsidy, plus my earnings at Kean U. My parents shoved most of the support issues onto the shoulders of the Public Schools and the Colleges I attended. ( Davis and Elkins College, WV; Union County College, NJ ; Kean University, NJ ) . I have owned and maintained a car; that was difficult also. There is a big challenge for all agencies to work together with the client student. University of Virginia and University of Richmond are doing great work. Young Adult Institute in NYC had little to offer me.
I pay some bills by using my banks website. I have paid off SallieMae.

~~~~~

Good luck with your research.

P.S.: My second boss uses a "scribe" to do his email. He doesnt' keyboard. I also have to do the data-entry for grades at the end of the
semester for him on the Grades machine.

-- end --

Quote "gisele":

Quote "gisele":

Quote "gisele":

Gisele, please take this in the spirit of which it is intended. I don't think you should presume that LDer's have special sklls as a result of being LD. Some of us depending on the severity and area of our impairment have been able to adapt, adjust and compensate.

Again, before you go off and publish some paper on LDers learn what LD is from a neurological point of view. If you were to study the psychometric test results of LDers you may end up stumbling upon something new that might raise some questions for furhther study. So far the LD dx is not very useful.

I can tell you why some LDers achieve and some don't. Mostly I would say it depends on the levels and areas of impairment. The thing that I think you maybe wanting to pontificate upon would be their level of motivation to achieve based on their upbringing and life experinces. In doing so you would ignore the most important part of the LD puzzle.

I also hope that you stress in your report that LDers are like snow flakes in that there are no 2 alike. If that is the only thing you stress you would be doing us a huge favor.

<<Most research seems to be focused on children or adults that are not as high functioning. I am not really interested in diagnosing etc. >>

Hi,

As a person with NLD, Dyslexia, ADHD and god knows what else, I am surprised that you have found any research on adults. We still seem to be an afterthought as all the posts I have seen on various LD boards asking for research participants want kids. All the articles I have seen on LD and adults are several years old. I would love some links to updated information if you have them

To pick on Jerry's point, one reason I don't react too strongly to the phrase "highly successful LD adults" is alot of those folks were diagnosed with Dylexia. When I read the book, "Exceeding Expectations" about high acheiving LD Adults, only one of them possibly had the NLD profile.

Not to do a "poor me" routine but NLD affects a whole ot more areas than dyslexia does. I am not saying that people with Dyslexia have it easy because they don't. But Jerry is right, you need to be more specific as to exactly the group you are studying because if it is folks who primarily have Dyslexia as their learning disability, that's going to have little meaning for someone like me. Yes, I have Dyslexia in addition to NLD but it is not one of my main problems although I wish I didn't have it.

Finally, if you do end up doing this type of study, please be specific about your results. One of the things that bugged me big time about "Exceeding Expectations" was that it kept saying the reason these folks were successful was because they learned "such and such". Well, I would have loved to have known how to do that but it was never spelled out for me. Maybe that's my NLD but since I assume that the book is geared towards adults with LD, I am surprised that wasn't taken into consideration.

In other words, if all you are going to say is that these folks have a positive attitude and related type of comments, that is going to be a big turnoff to me. I need information that is alot more tangible.

PT