Specific Learning Disability Identification: What Constitutes a Pattern of Strengths and Weaknesses?

The 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) and subsequent regulations published in 2006 have significantly changed the identification process for students suspected of having specific learning disabilities. Rather than using a discrepancy model contrasting intellectual a...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inLearning disabilities (Pittsburgh, Pa.) Vol. 18; no. 2; pp. 87 - 97
Main Authors Schultz, Edward Karl, Simpson, Cynthia G, Lynch, Sharon
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Learning Disabilities Association of America 2012
Subjects
Achievement Tests
Cognitive Processes
Disability Identification
Educational Legislation
Federal Legislation
Identification
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
Learning Disabilities
Mental Retardation
Reading Comprehension
Response to Intervention
Scores
Standardized Tests
Test Results
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:The 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) and subsequent regulations published in 2006 have significantly changed the identification process for students suspected of having specific learning disabilities. Rather than using a discrepancy model contrasting intellectual and achievement test results, assessment specialists now incorporate a variety of methods to identify specific learning disabilities, including response-to-intervention, cognitive processing approaches, and the determination of a pattern of strengths and weaknesses. This article proposes a theoretical structure for determining specific learning disabilities using a pattern of strengths and weaknesses. Methods of examining multiple sources of data to demonstrate a pattern of strengths and weaknesses are discussed so that assessment teams can determine if the data converge to indicate a specific learning disability. (Contains 3 figures.)
ISSN:1046-6819