This article takes a critical look at methods used to identify learning disability (such as use of ability/achievement discrepancy formulas and medical/neurobiological diagnosis) and presents an alternative method that adds assessment of the psychological processes of memory and learning to current practices of assessing intelligence and…

A survey of 52 directors of adult basic education (ABE) programs assessed the prevalence of students with learning disabilities (LD) in their programs; definitions of LD currently in use; diagnosis of LD among ABE students and extent and type of training for instructors about LD. Results are summarized and recommendations made for service…

This article analyzes how the dominant image of reality in the field of learning disabilities is derived from the diagnostic model. The article proposes an alternative, normative conception of education that emphasizes the importance of caring, social relatedness, and community participation. (Author/DB)

This study investigated diagnosis of learning problems in 177 boys (ages 6-13) with behavior problems. The standard score discrepancy method and standard score plus low achievement method were more likely to identify children with above-average intelligence quotients as learning disabled, whereas a regression approach identified learning…

This article, which introduces six papers on the validity of distinguishing subgroups of children with language and learning disabilities based on discrepancies between academic attainment and intelligence test scores, comments on the papers' diversity in samples, measurement characteristics, and statistical approaches and outlines the studies'…

The Wechsler Individual Achievement Test assesses achievement in students in grades K-12, with subtests in reading, mathematics reasoning, spelling, reading comprehension, numerical operations, listening comprehension, oral expression, and written expression. The test was developed to assist in identification of students with learning…

The Twice-Exceptional Child Project is a collaborative project of the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Public School System and the University of New Mexico to serve students who are gifted and have a mild-to-moderate handicapping condition. This article describes the project's training components, screening and identification procedures, curriculum, and…

This study examined the degree to which clinicians use various discrepancy models to identify a child as learning disabled by reviewing the case files of 105 urban (predominantly African-American) children who had been classified as LD and were receiving special education. Results suggested clinicians' decisions do not reflect recommended models…

Discusses the failure to identify learning disabilities in female students and the long-term consequences, including dependency on welfare programs. Stresses the need to modify identification procedures to increase sensitivity to learning disabilities in females and to adjust special-education programs to meet the needs of females. (CR)

Comparison of scores of 35 third- and fourth-grade students with learning disabilities on 3 major achievement tests found high positive correlations among the reading subtests. Agreement across all 3 tests for learning disability eligibility in the basic reading skills area was found in 20 of 35 cases and 9 of 35 cases in reading comprehension.…

Students (ages 6-10, n=144), grouped by age and reading ability, were administered tasks with a demonstrated relationship to reading. The concept of dyslexia was supported only for the older group, for whom dyslexia appeared to be either a phonological deficit or a developmental lag. (Author/DB)

Examines data collected by the federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on the identification and classification of special education students. Analysis suggests that the OSEP count data, by themselves, do not indicate how many children have disabilities or what types of disabilities they have, and the data cannot by used to evaluate…

The assessment profiles of 30 school-age children identified with either nonverbal or language-based learning disabilities were examined using a self-organizing systems paradigm. Results suggest that overflow into areas not typically associated with each disability subtype may occur. Concerns regarding ways of determining discrepancy for…

This study evaluated 150 elementary students previously referred to school study teams for possible learning disability (LD) as defined by a discrepancy between IQ and performance on a standardized achievement test. Comparison with actual school-based decisions found fewer than half of students certified as LD by local schools evidenced the…

Notes trends in definitions and theories on learning disabilities as recorded in articles in Canadian journals from 1989-2000. Examines current definitions of learning disabled (LD) used by ministries of education and compares them with proposed changes in current research. Discusses the shift in LD identification practices away from IQ cutoffs…