Learning Disabilities Defined

IDEA (PL94-142)
This definition was subsequently adopted by Congress in PL 91-230 (the Elementary and Secondary Amendments of 1969). The PL 94-142 definition formalized the definition and the current IDEA definition remains unchanged from PL 94-142.


"Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations. The term includes such conditions as perceptual handicaps, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia and developmental aphasia. The term does not include children who have learning problems which are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage."

NATIONAL JOINT COUNCIL ON LEARNING DISABILITIES
The continuance of the PL 94-142 definition in federal law prompted further analysis. In the early '80s a group of stakeholders, described as the National Joint Council on Learning Disabilities and the Learning Disabilities Association, proposed an alternative definition:

"Learning disabilities is a generic term that refers to a heterogeneous group of disorders manifested by significant difficulties in the acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities. These disorders are intrinsic to the individual and presumed to be due to central nervous system dysfunction. Even though a learning disability may occur concomitantly with other handicapping conditions, it is not the direct result of those conditions" (Hammill, Leigh, McNutt, & Larsen, 1981).

LEARNING DISABILITIES ASSOCIATION
The group, now called Learning Disabilities Association of America, was primarily a parent group whose membership rejected the NJCLD definition and instead advocated for the following definition.

"Specific Learning Disabilities is a chronic condition of presumed neurological origin which selectively interferes with the development, integration, and/or demonstration of verbal and/or nonverbal abilities. Specific Learning Disabilities exists as a distinct handicapping condition and varies in its manifestations and in degree of severity. Throughout life, the condition can affect self-esteem, education, vocation, socialization, and/or daily living activities" (Association for Children with Learning Disabilities, 1986)

ADOPTED BY THE LEARNING DISABILITIES ASSOCIATION OF CANADA ON JANUARY 30, 2002
"Learning Disabilities" refer to a number of disorders which may affect the acquisition, organization, retention, understanding or use of verbal or nonverbal information. These disorders affect learning in individuals who otherwise demonstrate at least average abilities essential for thinking and/or reasoning. As such, learning disabilities are distinct from global intellectual deficiency.

Learning disabilities result from impairments in one or more processes related to perceiving, thinking, remembering or learning. These include, but are not limited to: language processing; phonological processing; visual spatial processing; processing speed; memory and attention; and executive functions (e.g. planning and decision-making).

Learning disabilities range in severity and may interfere with the acquisition and use of one or more of the following:

  • oral language (e.g. listening, speaking, understanding);

  • reading (e.g. decoding, phonetic knowledge, word recognition, comprehension);

  • written language (e.g. spelling and written expression); and

  • mathematics (e.g. computation, problem solving).


    • Learning disabilities may also involve difficulties with organizational skills, social perception, social interaction and perspective taking.
    Learning disabilities are lifelong. The way in which they are expressed may vary over an individual's lifetime, depending on the interaction between the demands of the environment and the individual's strengths and needs. Learning disabilities are suggested by unexpected academic under-achievement or achievement which is maintained only by unusually high levels of effort and support.
    Learning disabilities are due to genetic and/or neurobiological factors or injury that alters brain functioning in a manner which affects one or more processes related to learning. These disorders are not due primarily to hearing and/or vision problems, socio-economic factors, cultural or linguistic differences, lack of motivation or ineffective teaching, although these factors may further complicate the challenges faced by individuals with learning disabilities. Learning disabilities may co-exist with various conditions including attentional, behavioural and emotional disorders, sensory impairments or other medical conditions.
    For success, individuals with learning disabilities require early identification and timely specialized assessments and interventions involving home, school, community and workplace settings. The interventions need to be appropriate for each individual's learning disability subtype and, at a minimum, include the provision of:
  • specific skill instruction;

  • accommodations;

  • compensatory strategies; and

  • self-advocacy skills.


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    New Mexico Learning Disabilities Association
    P.O. Box 30001/3SPE
    Las Cruces, New Mexico 88003
    or
    call 505-882-6221
    or
    email: epoel@nmsu.edu

    Last Updated October 15, 2003