This paper critically examines the centrally administered pre-service teacher preparation program for learning disabilities in India. With no equivalent Indian competency standards, this paper analyses components of the teacher preparation curriculum in the light of 22 high leverage practices (HLPs) outlined by the Council for Exceptional Children…

Background: Inclusive research has sidelined discussion of theoretical issues with researchers with intellectual/learning disabilities. This is a situation which the Big Ideas initiative sought to change. Between 2021 and 2023, the Open University, Leipzig University and the University of Koblenz organised nine workshops to explore influential…

The papers in the special series describe the role of data-based decision-making (DBDM) in improving the outcomes of students with learning disabilities based on research across Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. The articles address multiple aspects of a model of DBDM that includes the role of teacher knowledge, skills, beliefs, and…

This article discusses six theoretical frameworks of disability which dominate studies of dyslexia: (1) the biomedical, (2) the biopsychosocial, (3) the social model, (4) the critical realist, (5) the post-structuralistic, and (6) the neurodivergent approach. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how models of disability alter our understandings…

What Australian psychologists currently learn about specific learning disorders (SLDs) through postgraduate-level training is not clear. Accordingly, the current Australia-wide study analysed 800 postgraduate psychology unit handbook entries to identify which courses teach about SLD and what they teach in this area. Only 2.38% of the identified…

This article provides an introduction to theoretical ideas and practices from the so-called "philosophers of difference"--Foucault, Derrida, and Deleuze and Guattari--as an invitation to think differently about the construction of learning disability and to envision new forms of learning. Two key concepts, Foucault's transgression and…

Self-determination has received significant attention in the special education field, but scholars' knowledge of how culturally and linguistically diverse learners and their families perceive interventions to promote self-determination remains limited. Understanding how the construct is perceived in diverse cultures is critically important given…

Commissioning has been defined as "The process of translating aspirations and need into timely and quality services" (CSCI 2006). This paper describes the development of some practical guidance for people involved in commissioning services for individuals with learning disabilities. A national conference was organised in November 2005 to…

The field of intelligence testing has been revolutionized by Alan S. Kaufman. He developed the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) with David Wechsler, and his best-selling book, Intelligent Testing with the WISC-R, introduced the phrase "intelligent testing." Kaufman, with his wife, Nadeen, then created his own…

In this article, the author discusses her investigations into the connection between the values of Swedish society and Swedish classroom practices by way of the early childhood special education system. She describes Swedish educational policies and the challenges surrounding moving from policy to practice, and also uncovers themes regarding…

Analysis of special education services in British Columbia (BC) for students with learning disabilities in light of a current legal challenge finds the province's policies and practices are supported by theory and research on best practices. However, BC's Ministry of Education is urged to ensure policies are enacted consistently and to increase…

Each of the four issues of this newsletter published in 1993 consists of one article dealing with a particular policy debate. Number 1, "Canadian Special Education Policies: Children with Learning Disabilities in a Bilingual and Multicultural Society" (Linda S. Siegel and Judith Wiener), discusses social and cultural factors affecting…

A study involving 145 Israeli mother-child dyads examined the contribution of a multidimensional model of risk factors in explaining adaptive functioning among kindergartners with mild developmental delays considered at risk for developing learning disorders. Results indicated a high fit between the theoretical model and empirical findings.…