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Unified Definition Of Learning Disability Essay

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The definition of a learning disability can change from one area to another; however, the main concern is the disabilities are due to a problem in the central nervous system. The lack of having a specific definition can lead to learning disabilities being misdiagnosed or not being diagnosed at all. Not having a unified definition of what learning disabilities are can also lead to overdiagnosis of learning disabilities in children. This, along with unreliable and invalid assessments, psychologists who are not experienced in evaluating learning disability assessment results, and a teacher’s inability to distinguish between learning disabilities and behavioral issues, lead to the steady increase of learning disability diagnosis over the past 50 years. Learning disabilities are defined differently by different jurisdictions (Harrison & Holmes, 2012; Wolforth, 2012). Having a common, unified definition for learning disabilities can prevent problems a child may have throughout her education. If one psychologist follows the definition for learning disabilities based on the Diagnostic and …show more content…

The psychologist has to have a level of competence in factors that can influence the assessment results of children, i.e., they have short attention spans, they may be from a non-English speaking family, they may be too young for that specific assessment, etc. The psychologist also has to have a level of competence in the assessment in order to accurately interpret the results. The results of the assessments are what will set the tone for the child’s education going forward and will allow the family to understand that although a learning disability is present it does not equate to the child’s inability to

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