This review documents the learning disabilities (LD) identification criteria and procedures utilized in empirical research including students with LD published from 2001 to 2013 in three journals dedicated to the study of LD. Results reveal several troublesome findings related to transparency in reporting and the coherence of the LD construct.…

Replies to criticism of work at Minnesota Institute for learning disabilities. Suggests that the work (what is known) in LD reflects the state of practice (what is done). Suggests the LD population is not clearly defined, and research does not indicate that LD children require interventions unique to their category. (Author/CL)

The article emphasizes the need for a uniform format for defining the populations selected for research, particularly with learning disabled individuals. The population descriptions from three studies dealing with some aspect of reading are presented and scrutinized in terms of the four categories. (Author/DLS)

The discussion of the history of learning disabilities, emphasizes the lack of a precise definition and the ambiguous nature of etiological duration, and incidence explanations. He asserts that the teacher-therapist must become the major focus of study and research. (CL)

This article examines the problem of definition in learning disabilities. It discusses the failure of conceptual definitions to provide a clear idea of what learning disabilities are, examines the true nature of available definitions as stipulative definitions, and notes the difficulty in conceptualizing and implementing operational definitions.…

The paper asserts that learning disabilities is a "cherished ailment" in that so little is definitively known about the condition or about effective treatment, and further, that school systems and practitioners benefit from the large numbers of students diagnosed as LD. It is suggested that the traditional view of LD precludes alternative…

The paper evaluates the empirical and theoretical basis upon which several recent studies reject the hypothesis of a visual-perceptual deficit in reading disabilities. (Author)

The National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities' definition of learning disabilities is presented, followed by a discussion of parameters to be considered in operationalizing the definition. Major definitional issues are then explored, including using testable and meaningful constructs, linking definitions to neuropsychological evidence,…

Analysis of 85 journal articles and 36 doctoral theses disseminated in Canada revealed that the functionalist definition of learning disability and the assumption of specific etiology remain fixed in Canadian special education research. This finding suggests the need to introduce an ecological perspective in future studies of learning disability.…

This critique of H. Lee Swanson's "Toward a Metatheory of Learning Disabilities" comments on Swanson's concept of learning disabilities, cognitive science, and information processing theory. A different research and theory-building agenda is proposed, focusing on society's definition of learning disabilities and instructional issues and…

Procedures that have been used for assessing a discrepancy between ability and achievement of students suspected to have a learning disability are examined. Methodological deficiencies and/or unavailability of conclusive validity evidence are cited to support the conclusion that all of the procedures are worthless for screening purposes. (SEW)