Blackwell Reference Online

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Learning Disabilities (LD) is the largest category of disability. Around half of students who receive special education services are identified as LD. In the USA, the prevalence of LD in school-based populations is around 5 percent. However, as we will discuss later, because of problems with identification methods, this figure should be viewed with caution. LD is conceptualized as unexpected difficulty with one or more academic areas that occur among children of normal intelligence who have had adequate opportunity for learning and who do not have social disadvantages (e.g., not native English speakers) or behavior or emotional problems. LD occurs along a continuum, which is to say that children with LD represent the lower tail of the distribution. Additionally, learning problems may vary in severity across children. LD is not the result of developmental lag, and children do not “outgrow” LD, but rather, problems are lifelong. This is a significant concern, because on the whole outcomes for individuals with LD are not good; for instance, under-employment and unemployment are common. However, individuals with LD can develop strategies that can enable them to better compensate for problems, and today it is not uncommon for individuals with LD to successfully complete college or other advanced training. Among school-based samples, more males than females are identified as LD. This ... log in or subscribe to read full text