Job Accommodation Network's
Searchable Online Accommodation Resource (SOAR)

People with learning disabilities may have difficulty communicating with coworkers or supervisors. For people with LD, poor communication may be the result of undeveloped social skills, lack of experience/exposure in the workforce, shyness, intimidation, behavior disorders, or low self-esteem. Accommodations may include:

Providing detailed day-to-day guidance and feedback

Offering positive reinforcement

Providing clear expectations and the consequences of not meeting expectations

Giving assignments verbally, in writing, or both, depending on what would be most beneficial to the employee

Establishing long term and short term goals for employee

Adjusting supervisory method by modifying the manner in which conversations take place, meetings are conducted, or discipline is addressed

Provide sensitivity training to promote disability awareness

If feasible, allow employee to work from home

Help employee "learn the ropes" by provide a mentor

Make employee attendance at social functions optional

Allow employee to transfer to another workgroup, shift, or department

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Accommodations are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. If you need additional information or would like to discuss the information presented here, contact JAN directly.

SOAR is brought to you by the Job Accommodation Network, a service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor.