Question: If GPA and SAT's are low due to a dyslexia diagnosis late in freshmen year, how do I access an okay college for my child? She is a student with a great work ethic and wonderful social skills etc., but her grades suffered due to test scores (memory based l.d.) Do I call each school before applying and ask if they consider LD students? It all seems based on numbers, but I'd take her in my classroom over some high scoring students!

Many colleges will welcome your daughter and will allow some wiggle-room for her dyslexia when it comes to grades and test scores, if her recommendations attest to the fact that the numbers don't really represent her abilities. Do you think she would be most successful at a college that is specifically for dyslexic students (i.e., Landmark College in Vermont), one that has a special program for dyslexic students, or at any school where she can get the necessary support for her learning disability?

In any case, you'll find that your daughter will have options that are all over the map ... quite literally, that is. For instance, one young woman in my orbit had an excellent experience in the SALT program at The University of Arizona (http://www.salt.arizona.edu/). Another thrived at the far tinier (and colder) New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire. (http://www.nec.edu/)

If you haven't already seen it, check out The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities. Here you can read about admission requirements and special services for LD students at a wide range of institutions, as well as some recommendations for parents who will need to advocate for their child as he or she transitions to college.