In honor of Dr. Katherine Butler's extraordinary leadership of "Topics in Language Disorders," this article takes up her 1982 challenge to reach toward greater understanding of individual differences in the use of oral and written language by children with language learning disability. The article focuses on 3 interconnected dimensions of learning that appear important for the eventual resolution of Dr. Butler's challenge: (1) the stability vs the instability of language-learning profiles, (2) the unique pathways that learning may take, and (3) linear vs nonlinear perspectives of language learning. Future directions are then outlined for rethinking individual variations in language learning disability.