This study used a transformative, convergent mixed methods design, with a crossover analysis, to investigate the K-12 and postsecondary experiences young adults with disabilities perceive as influencing their persistence in postsecondary education. Thirteen young adults who were persisting in or had completed postsecondary education programs…

A Canadian context for the diagnosis of students with specific learning disabilities (LD) was investigated in the present literature review. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to determine the current and best practices in this field. Overall, no agreed upon definition of LD was identified, although core similarities in…

The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of international undergraduate students who are identified with learning disabilities and enrolled in universities in the United States. There is a dearth of studies investigating the unique needs and challenges of this population. This is the first study to explore the phenomenon of…

This article describes research supporting the use of the Learning Difficulties Assessment (LDA), a normed and no-cost, web-based survey that assesses difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, listening, concentration, memory, organizational skills, sense of control, and anxiety in college students. Previous research has supported…

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…

Increasing numbers of students are being diagnosed as simultaneously gifted and having a learning disability, although the identification procedures and characteristics of these students are matters of continuing debate. In the present study, postsecondary students with learning disability diagnoses (N = 357) were grouped according to their IQ…

This study examined the consequences of classifying postsecondary students as learning disabled (LD) using five objective sets of criteria: IQ-achievement discrepancies (1.0 to 1.49 SD, 1.5 to 1.99 SD, and greater than or equal to 2.0 SD), DSM-IV criteria, and chronic educational impairment beginning in childhood. The participants were 378…

Teacher education programs typically provide pre-service teachers preparation in assessment and identification procedures used to identify students with learning disabilities. What may be missing from teacher preparation is the development of communication skills to thoughtfully and professionally teach children about their disabilities. This…

In view of new federal guidelines, a project sought to write a procedure for identifying disadvantaged, handicapped, and/or nontraditional students and set up a monitoring system in the Renton Vocational Technical Institute. A literature review showed no practical tracking system had been published. The identification procedure developed included…

The article describes the eligibility model developed by the community college system of California for students with learning disabilities. Major activities of the research and development process leading to the eligibility model are detailed including components, procedures, and criteria. The process combines clinical and databased evidence with…

Surveys of the 106 California community colleges resulted in a summary of services for learning disabled students including student evaluation and instruction, core services, and program evaluation. Findings indicated the most critical barrier to equitable services is the variability of identification criteria among campuses. (DB)

In order to improve services to learning disabled (LD) students in a California community college setting (and to recruit new students as well as carry out ongoing curriculum adaptations), the study sought to identify sources of referral of LD students to the college special education department. Following a review of relevant literature, data…

A survey of all state education agencies (SEAs) was conducted to compare regulations for the determination of a learning disability. Results revealed many similarities among the states with some variations in the SEA eligibility criteria. Identification requirements were different under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the…

This study compared using a minimum IQ cutoff score and a simple difference method versus a regression-based method for identifying specific learning disabilities (SLD) in African American and European American college students (n=117). The regression-based method resulted in a significantly larger proportion of identified African Americans.…

The bibliography on issues related to postsecondary programming for the learning disabled contains approximately 160 references to studies published between 1980 and 1987. An introductory section notes the little agreement and lack of data regarding the appropriateness of various program models, the utility of different approaches to diagnosis,…