National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc.

NCLD believes that better academic, social and emotional outcomes for individuals with learning and attention issues are directly linked to decisions and actions taken by parents, educators, school leaders, policy makers and the young adults themselves.

NCLD will improve the lives of people with learning and attention issues by:

1) empowering parents to support and advocate for their own and other children
2) supporting young adults in their self-advocacy
3) transforming schools through implementation of proven best practices
4) strengthening policy through advocacy at the federal, state and local levels.

We employ various strategies to achieve our goals and they are customized to best meet the needs of our audiences:

Our parent empowerment work is based on 1) building and engaging a large national network of parents, 2) conducting campaigns to support and motivate parents to take action for their own and other children, 3) and working with parents at grassroots level in selected states to become effective agents for change.

Our school transformation strategies focus on state, district and school-level education leaders. We 1) create and deliver professional development services and resources related to states' college-and-career-ready standards, 2) develop and deliver decision-making tools so that school leaders can implement proven best practices, 3) and lead knowledge-building events to promote adoption and implementation of best practices

We advocate for stronger, more equitable public policy through 1) educating policymakers, agencies, White House and others on education, transition, training, employment and other critical issues for students with learning difficulties and disabilities, 2 ) leading knowledge-building initiatives to drive the policy debate, to build consensus around best practices, and to improve legislation, 3) creating campaigns and conducting Annual Advocacy Days to mobilize parents and advocates, and 4) targeting selected states and districts that are important in the national education discussions and debates.

We are currently enhancing our program to support young adults in their self-advocacy by 1) establishing a knowledge base about the unique strengths, challenges, and preferences of young adults (16-25) with learning and attention issues, and 2)by developing strategies and activities/resources that will help young adults to be confident and effective self-advocates

Both our long history of expertise in learning and attention issues and our unique role as a national nonprofit organization make us uniquely capable of responding quickly and efficiently to the challenges of the rapidly changing political and educational environment. Our strategies are built on nearly 40 years of working with parents, raising public awareness and protecting the rights of individuals with learning and attention issues. Our dedicated Board of Directors consists of parents of children with learning and attention issues and we have a dedicated, knowledgeable staff of more than 25 team members, with expertise in learning and attention issues, online communications and engagement, school reform, public policy and advocacy, and partnership and community building. An invitation-only Professional Advisory Board comprised of leading experts in LD-specific disorders (reading, math, written expression, executive functioning/information processing), disorders of attention and behavior (e.g., ADHD), school reform, speech/language disorders, assistive technologies and universal design for learning, post-secondary transition and the workplace, teacher preparation, school administration and leadership, public policy and advocacy, parent advocacy and support and medicine (pediatrics, neurology, psychiatry) supports our strategic and program planning.

We are currently in the process of finalizing a new strategic plan to strengthen and maximize our impact and support more of the 60 million individuals nationwide with learning and attention issues.