The purpose of this session is to improve the diagnostician/LSSP’s ability to assess students who are struggling to learn (e.g., students with possible specific learning disabilities). In order to identify an SLD in an individual who is atypical, it is necessary to establish where a typical learner would be at the same age and grade. This session will: a) describe the learning process using contemporary cognitive theory, b) demonstrate the steps to establish where a typical learner should be, and c) demonstrate how to use this information to make decisions.