Assessing and developing programs for children with a learning disability (LD) has been a complex and confusing task often involving professionals from the domains of health, education, and the social services in addition to the parents. The problems have included trying to agree upon a definition of LD, identifying interdisciplinary variations for similar symptoms, and conjointly interfacing services. The vague LD syndrome has survived because of its popularity with educators, physicians, and psychologists. As a diagnosis and assessment, LD has promoted confusion for those professionals who must deal with the problem and for the child referred as LD. Even if LD could be proved to exist in a few children, such a procedure would remain an exercise in futility since it would not bring forth any specific changes in educational programming or therapy to enhance the level of functioning and development within the child. (Author/IM)