Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities

Topics discussed:

• Episode 156 kicks off the Beyond the Crime series with a look at the numbers: roughly 38% of people in U.S. prisons report at least one disability (versus about 15% of the general population), and conditions like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and language disorders are all over-represented in custody. Laurie and co-host Ashton stress that disability does not cause crime, and that the estimates vary widely depending on how each study defined and measured the condition.
• The bigger point is that these disabilities are often invisible or unidentified, so someone can seem to understand a police question, a Miranda warning, or a document they're asked to sign when they don't. Episode 2 will move from the statistics to what happens when the system misses a disability, including wrongful convictions, false confessions, and victimization.

Resources & Links

Show Notes and Sources:

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Learn more about Diagnostic Learning:

https://www.diagnostic-learning.com/

Questions, feedback, or episode ideas?

[email protected]

Follow Diagnostic Learning:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diagnostic.learning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diaglearning/

Let's Talk Learning Disabilities is presented by Diagnostic Learning, a nationwide provider of psychoeducational evaluations for ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and other learning disabilities and learning differences.

Topics discussed:

• Laurie announces a new spinoff series called "Beyond the Crime: Disability and Justice" — exploring how disabilities like ADHD, autism, intellectual disabilities, and language disorders intersect with the criminal justice system at every stage, from interrogations and confessions to competency hearings and wrongful convictions.

• The series isn't about excusing criminal behavior, but about asking whether the justice system is equipped to recognize disability when it matters — looking at real cases through the lens Laurie applies every day in her diagnostic work, with the first full episode launching the following week.

Resources & Links

Learn more about Diagnostic Learning:

https://www.diagnostic-learning.com/

Questions, feedback, or episode ideas?

[email protected]

Follow Diagnostic Learning:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diagnostic.learning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diaglearning/

Let's Talk Learning Disabilities is presented by Diagnostic Learning, a nationwide provider of psychoeducational evaluations for ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and other learning disabilities and learning differences.

Topics Discussed

• Amy Kopelman introduces Pathlitics, a platform that rates 700+ colleges on their level of learning disability and ADHD support, combining structured database research with honest firsthand reviews from current college students who learn differently.
• College disability services websites are vague and often overpromise, so families should start researching early, involve their student in the process, and let the level of available support guide — not follow — the college selection decision.

Resources & Links

Connect with Amy Kopelman:

https://www.pathlitics.com/

Learn more about Diagnostic Learning:

https://www.diagnostic-learning.com/

Questions, feedback, or episode ideas?

[email protected]

Follow Diagnostic Learning:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diagnostic.learning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diaglearning/

Let's Talk Learning Disabilities is presented by Diagnostic Learning, a nationwide provider of psychoeducational evaluations for ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, and other learning disabilities and learning differences.

In Episode 153 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie concludes her interview with Amber (BaconBearzz), a YouTube content creator known for covering true crime stories centered on scams and manipulation, by diving into the intersection of neurodivergence and the criminal justice system. They close with practical advice for parents newly navigating an autism or ADHD diagnosis: ask every question you can, lean on online communities, go into IEP meetings informed and prepared, and leave any support group that makes you feel like your struggles don't count.

Resources:

That's My Opinion! YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@baconbearzz

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 152 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie interviews Amber (BaconBearzz), a YouTube content creator known for covering true crime stories centered on scams and manipulation, who opens up about her own late ADHD diagnosis -- which came only after a 2023 breakdown triggered by a cascade of family crises, including her daughter's sudden vision loss and her autistic son being found a half mile from his school. Amber shares how her undiagnosed ADHD had manifested throughout her life as anxiety, OCD-like hyper-vigilance, and an inability to finish tasks, and how her journey navigating her son Max's autism diagnosis - including IEP meetings, speech therapy, and the guilt of initially wondering if she caused his autism - actually became a mirror that helped her recognize the same patterns in herself.

Resources:

That's My Opinion! YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@baconbearzz

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 151 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie and Cara tackle one of the most common questions they receive from parents - whether there are truly different "types" of dyslexia - and work through terms like stealth dyslexia, double deficit dyslexia, phonological dyslexia, and visual/surface dyslexia to separate legitimate research-based concepts from labels that have been popularized online and in parent groups in ways that blur the line between a description and a diagnosis.

Resources:

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 150 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie shifts the focus away from typical back-to-school prep and onto a group of students that she thinks about most: the bright, well-behaved kids making good grades who are quietly struggling behind the scenes. Grades only tell you what a student produced, not what it cost them... and smart kids are especially skilled at compensating for learning disabilities like dyslexia, ADHD, or slow processing speed through strong memory, supportive parents, and sheer effort, until eventually the workload outpaces their ability to cope. Rather than watching report cards, Laurie urges parents to pay attention during the first six weeks to warning signs like excessive homework time, exhaustion, avoidance of reading, rising anxiety, and a child who is quietly losing confidence, because sometimes the most serious struggles are the ones no one else can see.

Resources:

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 149 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie speaks with Charlotte, a University of Tennessee sophomore who works for We Know Campus - a service that connects high school students with vetted, high-achieving current college students via 30-minute Zoom calls to give honest, unscripted insight into campus life, academics, social culture, disability services, and more. The service is exclusively available through partner private schools and independent educational consultants (not directly to the public), and is designed to complement - not replace - the broader college planning process.

Resources:

We Know Campus Website: https://weknowcampus.com

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 148 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie speaks with Francesca Corbis and Melanie Roy from K Altman Law, a nationally recognized special education and disability rights law firm, who walk through the most common pitfalls families encounter in the IEP and 504 process - including the critical distinction between medical and educational diagnoses, the subjectivity of "educational need," the danger of template-driven dropdown goals without clear baselines, and the painful strategic reality that outside tutoring can actually undermine a child's eligibility case.

Resources:

K Altman Law Website: https://www.kaltmanlaw.com

Advocacy Circle: https://www.kaltmanlaw.com/special-education-services/the-advocacy-circle

Francesca's Contact Information: [email protected]

Melanie's Contact Information: [email protected]

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning

In Episode 147 of Let’s Talk Learning Disabilities, Laurie interviews Caryl Frankenberger of Frankenberger Associates, a virtual organization of 22 coaches offering two core programs - individualized executive function coaching and a unique one-on-one social learning program - serving students from elementary school through adulthood across the US and internationally. Caryl walks through how both programs are deeply personalized, and explains that their social learning program targets kids who struggle to make and keep friends by teaching skills like perspective-taking, conversation management, emotional regulation, and flexible thinking through role play, real-world assignments, and mid-week check-ins.

Resources:

Frankenberger Associates Website: https://frankenbergerassociates.com

Contact info for the podcast: [email protected]

E-Diagnostic Learning Website: https://ediagnosticlearning.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eDiaglearning/

Twitter: @diaglearning

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/diagnostic-learning-services/

Instagram: @diaglearning