The purpose of this paper was to track the history of learning disabilities and collect intervention theories which might be helpful for adult college students suffering from any number of learning disabilities (LD). There is a vast difference between a learning difficulty and a learning disability; an individual with learning difficulty can learn using conventional teaching techniques while LD requires specialized interventions which depend on the type of disability. The most common forms of LD are dyslexia--also known as word blindness, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and short term memory dysfunction. LD can result from injury; it can be hereditary; it can come in many forms. Although it is no longer considered a form of mental retardation, it is now known that true LD is directly related to some type of brain malfunction. The study of LD did not originate in the 1960s--as some people believe--but actually spans the time from Napoleonic reign to space age exploration. Scientists, researchers, and educators know quite a bit about LD now, but they still do not know nearly enough to help the multitude of individuals afflicted with those conditions.