Characteristics of “Successful” People with LD General adjustment. Although much of the existing professional literature describes the weaknesses of students with disabilities, several investigators have focused on describing factors associated with the life, vocational, and academic adjustment of this population. Minskoff (1994), for example, identified several factors that are predictive of successful adjustment for people with LD. These included (a) severity of the LD; (b) degree of support from family; (c) socioeconomic status (SES); (d) completion of high school; (e) quality of education at elementary and secondary levels; and (f) quality of vocational and postsecondary experiences. Working with “highly successful” people with LD (based on income, job classification, educational level, prominence in one’s field, and job satisfaction), Ginsberg, Gerber, and Reiff (1994) found that, compared to the “moderately” successful group, “highly successful” people with LD demonstrated an ability to take control of their lives. They noted, for example, that highly successful people with LD expressed a strong desire to excel, were goal oriented, and were able to reconceptualize their learning problems into something positive and functional. External manifestations of these internal decisions included (a) persistence; (b) the ability to choose occupations in which they could capitalize on their strengths and minimize their learning problems; (c) “learned creativity” — or, the ability to devise novel means to an end; and (d) the ability and willingness to seek out and use supportive people. Adjustment to postsecondary settings. Several studies have systematically investigated those characteristics of students with LD that are predictive of success specifically in postsecondary settings. Hartzell and Compton (1984), for example, conducted a follow-up study of 114 students with LD ages 15 to 27 years. People in their sample who graduated from college reported strong family support, the availability of individualized tutoring, and above-average verbal IQ. Graduates in this study also showed signs of “mild” to “moderate” learning disabilities, as opposed to “severe” learning problems.