Jeremy isn't alone with his frustration. Many students find high school a challenge. However, in Jeremy's case, he has an added problem that was never discovered before now he has a learning disorder. Parents wonder how likely it is that a child can have a learning disorder without it being detected before the high school years. According to experts, it is more common than anyone would like.
Some students can even make it to college before a learning disability becomes clear.
Darlene Watson, Ph.D., a licensed educational psychologist in California, says that there are two things that tip her off to the possibility of a learning disability in teens. When I hear the word 'immature,' that is a red flag. It usually means the student is not meeting the expectations of either the teachers or the parents. The second sign Watson notes is when a student is spending hours studying every night but is still not getting good grades, yet the teachers say that he could be doing better if he'd just try. If your teen is having problems learning and you don't understand why, you have options.