Presented are five papers given at a 1970 seminar on reading difficulty and the intelligent underachiever. In the first paper, Dr. T. D. Hagger discusses the concept of specific learning disabilities and stresses the trend to search for causation in organic factors within the child, the importance of early identification, and the need for providing adequate remedial instruction. F. N. Cox's paper focuses on psychological assessment for remedial teaching and concludes that assessment should identify learning needs and be periodically repeated. The consequences on initial failure in learning to read is the topic of the third paper by Hugh Esson who examines the characteristics of the adult illiterate such as high scores on performance aspects of intelligence tests. The next paper is by Angela Ridsdale and is on identification and intervention in the early stages of learning difficulties with emphasis on symptoms such as hyperactivity which the potentially learning disabled young child may exhibit. The final paper, by J. P. Phillips, on remediation programs for retarded readers, provides information on diagnosis and developing a program based on the child's individual needs and interests. (DB)