LDP Model

The model of support offered by the LDP benefits students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders who are able to develop a collaborative partnership with a learning specialist, open to expanding their understanding of themselves as learners and refining their academic skills, and interested in making an ongoing commitment to the program. 

Collaborative Partnerships
The development of a collaborative working relationship between students and learning specialists is foundational to the support offered by the LDP. The collaboration, fostered by curiosity, respect, and direct communication, is designed as a sustained partnership that can extend throughout a student’s time at Northeastern, rather than a short-term intervention. The purpose of this collaboration extends beyond immediate academic improvement. Learning specialists serve as guides, providing students with a supportive environment where they can explore their understanding of themselves as learners and develop the self-determination and self-regulated learning skills necessary for independence and sustainable success.

Personalized Instruction and Support
Students work with their learning specialists to assess strengths, monitor progress, and identify areas for growth, creating personalized pathways toward students’ academic goals. LDP sessions can include targeted instruction and support in:

Learning Strategies

  • Enhancing reading and writing skills
  • Preparing effectively for exams
  • Initiating tasks and sustaining effort
  • Managing unstructured time

Self-determination skills

  • Understanding and valuing yourself as a learner
  • Engaging with resources
  • Developing and acting on plans
  • Reflecting on outcomes

Self-regulated learning

  • Setting attainable goals
  • Applying effective strategies
  • Monitoring progress
  • Evaluating and adapting approaches

Academic Interests

  • Maintaining motivation
  • Creating accountability
  • Practicing metacognition
  • Persisting through challenges

Ongoing Commitment
Students who are offered admission to the LDP are asked to plan to participate in the program for at least three terms. This long-term commitment allows learning specialists to tailor support through observation of students’ evolving needs, academic patterns, and growth over multiple semesters. Students benefit from consistent support as they progress through increasingly complex coursework and experiential learning opportunities. As students grow, strategies can be adapted and built upon over time, creating a cumulative effect that strengthens the student’s overall academic experience and Northeastern’s commitment to students’ lifelong learning.

While students do not attend LDP sessions while they participate in co-op, we will hold a place in the program for them when they return to classes.

Contact Us:
Jennifer Newton, Director
Email: j.newton@northeastern.edu
Phone: 617.373.4526
Fax: 617.373.4142

Mailing address:
135 Forsyth Building
Northeastern University
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115

Office location: 
The Learning Disabilities Program offices are located on the first floor of the Forsyth Building.