It can be frustrating for a parent to watch a son or daughter struggle to keep pace with others at school, especially when they know the child is bright, interested, and motivated. A learning disability may be at the root of the problem.

Learning disabilities are caused by problems with the way the brain takes in and processes information and have little to do with intelligence. Most people who have a learning disability are of average intelligence.

There are several types of learning disabilities, including:

• Impairment in reading, also called dyslexia, which affects a child’s reading skills and may also affect writing, spelling, and speaking
• Impairment in writing, also called dysgraphia, which affects writing skills. Children with this learning disability may have trouble with spelling, grammar, punctuation, and clarity or organization of written expression.
• Impairment in mathematics, also called dyscalculia, which affects a child’s ability to do math

Though sometimes identified in preschool, a child’s learning difficulties more typically surface in kindergarten or early grade school but may not be identified until an evaluation is completed.

The Child Study Center offers comprehensive psychological evaluations, including for learning disorders. Referrals from pediatricians or education professionals are not required; parents are welcome to contact us on their own.

Before the initial appointment, parents will be asked to complete questionnaires about a child’s developmental, medical, social, and academic history. The evaluator uses that information to plan an appropriate assessment.

Parent interviews are a key component of a child’s evaluation. Parents will be asked to provide information about strengths and weaknesses and be invited to discuss specific areas of concern. The child is also interviewed and has one-on-one testing sessions with the evaluator. These sessions are used to measure cognitive, educational, and social-emotional functioning.

Each assessment is individualized. For example, a reading evaluation may assess reading skills, fluency, and comprehension. If indicated, additional testing is done to evaluate attention, memory, and executive functioning. Parents and evaluators meet to discuss findings and recommendations, and a report is prepared that can be shared with a child’s teachers and school.

A child’s school uses the learning disability evaluation to develop an individualized educational plan. Each assessment includes specific recommendations for support services (such as tutoring) and/or accommodations (such as untimed tests) that can improve the child’s ability to access the learning environment and better demonstrate their abilities. Once the assessment is complete, the Child Study Center team members are available to be involved with educational planning for the child. Team members may attend school meetings with parents and educators to help plan how to close the gap between a child’s ability and achievement.

The Child Study Center has a wide-angle approach to assessing an individual child’s strengths, weaknesses, and environment. That's a key differentiator for Yale in the realm of psychological/learning disability assessments.

The Child Study Center has a long history of providing comprehensive psychological evaluations that assess the whole child, including problem-solving skills, academic skills, behavioral and adaptive skills, and social-emotional functioning. These holistic evaluations can be key tools in helping a family, school, and/or therapist come to a better understanding of what is happening and how a child can best be supported to learn and grow.

Another advantage is the Child Study Center’s collaborative approach to working with children and families. As part of a center that is a leader in research on child development and an innovator in developing programs to help children, the evaluation team includes highly trained experts who are passionate about helping children reach their highest potential. The team includes clinicians who have developed a unique perspective and level of expertise based on their work with children with a wide variety of needs, abilities, and backgrounds.

This fact sheet was medically reviewed in January 2026.