Potentially all over the world, there are children who have been improperly diagnosed with various forms of learning disabilities, with potentially life-long consequences. The primary aim of this essay is to stimulate readers to consider the fact that, in a natural classroom environment, average, academically functional students who are…

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a complex initiative which requires the ongoing support and communication of multiple stakeholders (e.g., teachers, administrators, support staff). The purpose of this paper is to examine RTI and direct application of the framework with public school practitioners. The paper is separated into several sections.…

Over the last 30 years, controversy has reigned over the rights of children with learning disabilities to be educated alongside their peers in a mainstream classroom. Whether this is called integration or inclusion has been another hotly debated discussion among professionals. There have been calls for the abolition of special schools. This paper…

An old building in Newbould Lane was home to the LEA's Psychological Service. A notice on the staff room wall throughout my seven years and a term announced that "Constant change is here to stay." Certainly, there had been change: the student intake to all the city's secondary schools had become mixed and comprehensive in the late 1960s;…

Dr. Tanis Bryan graduated from Northwestern University during the beginning of the field of learning disabilities. From this beginning, Tanis has provided invaluable insight into the field through her desire to understand the social dimensions of learning disabilities. The author wishes to thank Tanis for her assistance with this interview.

Four studies into characteristics and instructional needs of students with learning disabilities are summarized in this article. These studies are also reviewed in the wider context of mathematics intervention research in special education. These studies generally rely on qualitative methodology, and they are best understood in light of a…

Kristin L. Sayeski introduces the reader to Dan Hallahan and provides a synopsis of his educational background. She reports Hallahan received his BA in psychology in 1967 and his PhD in education and psychology in 1971 from the University of Michigan, then began his career as an assistant professor in special education at the University of…

This article supports the perspective of Jan Valle regarding the importance of recognizing the subjectivity inherent in decisions about Learning Disabilities. The author argues that the perspectives of both parents and professionals are informed by subjective judgments that must be taken into account in decision making. A reciprocal approach to…

In these days of the achievement gap, evidence-based practices, and accountability issues, Julie Allan's "Complicating, not explicating: Taking up philosophy in learning disability research" challenges everyone to think seriously about how well the field is meeting the mission of providing for the academic and social needs of students with…

This article examines what we know about the experience of parents in the special education system--in particular, parents of children with learning disabilities since the passage of PL-94-142. Toward this end, I offer a review of special education literature about parent and professional collaboration, a rationale for relying upon a plurality of…

Over the years, the benefits of categorically identifying and labeling students with disabilities have been debated on many grounds, particularly when it comes to labeling African-American children who many argue are over-labeled or disproportionately represented in selected categories such as learning disabilities. In this article, the authors…

In the introduction to her new book, ""Multiplication Is for White People": Raising Expectations for Other People's Children," Lisa Delpit describes her response when Diane Ravitch asked her why she hasn't spoken out against the devastation of public schools in her home state of Louisiana and the efforts to make New Orleans the national model. She…

This article presents the author's address on the 2008 International Conference of the Council for Learning Disabilities in Kansas City, Missouri. In this keynote address, the author focuses on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), and students with specific learning disabilities (SLD), and…

Unlike other special education categories defined in U.S. law (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act), the definition of specific learning disability (SLD) has not changed since first proposed in 1968. Thus, although the operational definition of SLD has responded to new knowledge and understanding about the construct, the formal definition…

This article addresses the role of the school psychologist in the evaluation of children experiencing significant difficulties in reading. The author addresses first the topics of what a reading diagnosis is and what should be expected as the result of the diagnostic evaluation of a child for whom reading has been a difficult task. Before…