Knowing that a child has a learning disability only tells you that the child is having difficulty processing information. You need to learn much more about the child before you can determine the degree of difficulty, the nature of the difficulties, and/or the impact of the disability on certain subjects or academic tasks. Learning disabilities can be classified either according to the type of information processing affected by the disability, or according to the specific difficulties caused by a treatment deficit. Federal regulations state that a person may have a learning disability if there is a significant gap between performance and intellectual ability in one or more of the following areas: speaking, listening, writing, basic reading skills, reading comprehension, mathematical arithmetic, and mathematical reasoning. Although legislation and regulations have identified areas of deficit in learning disabilities, there are still widespread problems in defining and identifying who to serve, and delineating the composition and responsibilities of the assessment team. The following NJCLD opinion addresses issues arising from the federal definition of learning disabilities. Definitions of learning disabilities have evolved over time. These definitions were attempts to describe a condition called aphasia, neurological disorders, Strauss syndrome, and minimal brain dysfunction, among others. Cognitive assessment, including psychoeducational or neuropsychological assessment, is crucial to diagnosing a learning disability. Learning disabilities can be diagnosed by qualified school or school psychologists, clinical psychologists and clinical neuropsychologists who are trained and experienced in assessing learning disabilities. IDEA will no longer require local school authorities (school districts) to use discrepancies to determine whether or not a particular child has a learning disability.
You should check with your state`s Department of Education to see if a divergence requirement is still in place. The new changes to IDEA also include a process that determines if a child is responding to a “research-based science intervention.” If a student does so, the school district may decide that there is no specific learning disability, but a previous failure to provide appropriate instruction. (p. 69)”Discrepancy” in the diagnosis of a learning disability according to Ortiz (2004). While other definitions of learning disabilities exist in various professional organizations and government education agencies, it was the NACHC definition that served as the basis for legislation and funding that led to the establishment of educational programs for children with learning disabilities and programs to prepare professionals. Many positive effects have been achieved through the definition and general objectives of Bill 94-142. However, the interpretation of the definition has resulted in a number of issues that have impacted theoretical and service delivery issues related to learning disabilities. Some of these questions include: LD concept: Strong converging evidence supports the validity of the concept of specific learning disabilities (DLS). This evidence is particularly impressive because it converges between different indicators and methods. The central concept of LTC involves learning and cognitive disabilities inherent in the individual. DLS are specific in that these disorders each significantly affect a relatively narrow range of academic achievement and performance.
LTC can occur in combination with other disabling conditions, but is not primarily due to other conditions such as intellectual disability, behavioral disorders, lack of learning opportunities, or primary sensory deficits. [13] [page needed] [14] People with such disabilities may also have problems with their ability to self-regulate their behaviours and exhibit altered patterns of social perception and interaction. The idea that these problems can persist with learning disabilities has been recognized by the NJCLD and is consistent with current research. The inclusion of this idea in the definition is therefore timely and contributes to a better understanding of people with learning disabilities. However, the NJCLD does not believe or support the argument that problems with self-regulation, social perception and/or interaction alone constitute a learning disability. Learning disabilities can be identified by psychiatrists, speech-language pathologists, school psychologists, clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, neuropsychologists, speech-language pathologists and other learning disability specialists through a combination of intelligence tests, tests of academic performance, classroom performance, social interaction and aptitude. Other areas of assessment may include perception, cognition, memory, attention, and language skills. The resulting information is used to determine whether a child`s academic performance matches their cognitive abilities. When a child`s cognitive abilities are much higher than their academic performance, the student is often diagnosed with a learning disability. The DSM-IV and many school systems and government programs diagnose learning disabilities in this way (the DSM-IV uses the term “disorder” instead of “disability”). Since 1975, when the LD category was first incorporated into public law, the number of students identified as having learning disabilities has increased by nearly 250%, from approximately 800,000 students to nearly 3,000,000 students (U.S. Department of Education, 2002).
The NJCLD supports the idea that learning disabilities are not the primary and direct consequence of other disabilities and should not be confused as such. However, the NJCLD explicitly points out that learning disabilities can occur at the same time as other disabilities.