This article defends research evaluating similarities and differences in psychometric performances of students with learning disabilities (LD) and students with low achievement (LA), which concluded that psychometric test performance alone was an insufficient basis for differential diagnosis. Recent criticism of the research by Kenneth Kavale and…

Two analyses are provided to demonstrate that the population of students with learning disabilities is distinct from the population of low-achievers. Reasons for different interpretations of Bob Algozzine and colleagues' research are suggested. Assumptions surrounding the reality of learning disability are explored, as are differing perceptions…