Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that can cause significant social, communication, and behavioral challenges yet it is defined and diagnosed by the absence or presence of behaviors described in, for example, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5. Descriptions of the disorder include symptoms such as intellectual…

This study examined the extent to which cognitive ability index scores predicted multidisciplinary teams' (MDT) SLD identification within a response-to-intervention (RtI) method after accounting for RtI slope and norm-referenced achievement scores. Results showed that four achievement composite scores (i.e., basic reading, reading comprehension,…

It is important to identify cognitive and achievement characteristics that differentiate students who are twice exceptional because they are gifted and have a learning disability (2e-LD) from gifted and average ability peers because this information informs empirically-based identification and support systems for this population. In this study, I…

Since their emergence in public schools, specific learning disability (SLD) identification practices have been controversial in both research and practice. The purpose of this special issue is to present contemporary research on various models of SLD identification as well as issues associated with their implementation. Each of the articles in…

The Ability Achievement Discrepancy model remains the primary identification method used by school personnel. This study examined identification of a specific learning disability using the Ability Achievement Discrepancy model with the Woodcock-Johnson IV (WJ-IV). Two different test scores can be used to represent the ability construct: one that…

Students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) represent a large proportion of those receiving special education services in U.S. schools, but the relationship between student-level variables and SLD identification is still not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which data collected as part of a…

Specific learning disabilities (SLD) identification has consistently been shown to be problematic; however, research has largely focused on SLD identification using test scores only. The present study, therefore, examined SLD identification decisions across identification methods and student evaluation data levels, including test scores,…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive flexibility, academic skills, educational trajectories, and career goals of college students with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, objective and subjective measures of cognitive…

The Wechsler Intelligence Test for Children -- Fifth Edition (WISC-V) is a comprehensive intellectual ability assessment for children. The WISC-V was developed over the course of five years by an expert team including doctoral-level scientists and clinicians and an advisory panel, who provided expert advice about intellectual ability testing,…

Intellectually gifted students are defined as those who demonstrate outstanding ability to grapple with competition or superior academic potential. But intellectually gifted individual with specific learning disabilities are the most misunderstood and neglected segment of the student population at the community. Students who are gifted and have…

The purpose of this article is to provide the reader with insight into the clinical reasoning process involved in the assessment and intervention planning for a child with a reading disability. A Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theoretical/neuropsychological approach shall serve as the foundational theoretical framework for this case study, and…

Dyslexia and other learning disabilities are not being properly recognized and treated in our educational system or society at large. Unrecognized and untreated learning disabilities represent a serious social and economic problem, not only to the individual but to society as a whole. For example, antisocial behavior, as seen in prison populations…

In this article, we provide an overview of current knowledge on the underlying cognitive deficits associated with mathematics learning disabilities (MLD). We highlight difficulties surrounding the identification of MLD that include inconsistency in defining MLD, comorbidity with other disabilities, problems associated with assessment tools and…

No previous empirical study has investigated whether the learning disabilities (LD) identification decisions of proposed methods to operationalize processing strengths and weaknesses approaches for LD identification are associated with differential treatment response. We investigated whether the identification decisions of the…

Many college students receiving accommodations for specific learning disability (SLD) do not meet objective criteria for the disorder. Furthermore, whether students meet criteria depends on the diagnostic decision model used by their clinician. The authors examined whether the relationship between diagnostic model and likelihood of meeting…