YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE A DISABILIY.

Much of these types of comment are down to ignorance, but please refrain from saying to someone if you can help it. There are many types of disability, and not all types   are visible.

WHAT HAPPENED?

Most people are born with their disabilities, and in some instances and for whatever reason a person's brain is sometimes just wired differently. It does not mean they experienced some kind of trauma in the womb or as a young child.

I WOULD NEVER HAVE THOUGHT THAT YOU HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY.

Newsflash: all types of people have learning disabilities. Disabilities do not discriminate based on age, race, gender etc. This is rude, because it is incredibly judgemental and can highlight ignorance. Saying this to someone with a learning disability can really invalidate their experience and/or diagnosis.

OH, DO YOU HAVE DYSLEXIA? I'VE HEARD OF THAT.

Not everyone who has a learning disability has dyslexia, there are many types of learning disabilities so try to refrain from including it in comments unless the person you are talking to has disclosed to you that they have dyslexia.

ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU ARE NOT JUST USING THIS AS A CRUTCH?

It has been known for some lecturers to ask students this question! It can be extremely hurtful and condescending, but some students don't ave the language or confidence at the time to articulate why. Saying this to someone with a learning disability is completely inappropriate. Asking this assumes that someone is lying about their disability and their needs for adjustments in their studies, nobody is using their condition as a 'crutch'-it is all they have ever known.

WHY ARE YOU ALLOWED EXTRA TIME ON AN ASSIGNMENT/TEST/EXAM/ETC? THAT'S UNFAIR!

Assignments/tests/exams are created in a 'one-size-fits-all' way, giving a person with a learning disability extra time does not give them an advantage, it enables them to perform on a level playing field. It may take them longer to process information and then to show that information in the form of an assignment/test/exam/etc, so extra time is a neccessity not a privillage.

I CAN HELP YOU OVERCOME THIS.

No you can't! This statement assumes a) you think you know what you are dealing with, and b) that the person obviously wants to be 'fixed'. Learning disabilities don't get better with time. People learn how to work with their disabiliy instead of against it. There is no 'overcoming' a learning disability, it is part of the who the person is and therefore part of their identity.