Learning Disability vs. Reading Disability: A Survey of Practitioners' Diagnostic Populations and Test Instruments

This investigation focused on reading and learning disability professionals' diagnostic practices when assessing reading disorders. The Learning Disability/Reading Disability Questionnaire constructed by the researchers was used to investigate and compare the diagnostic practices among three professional groups: 74 self-contained learning disabilities specialists, 141 resource learning disabilities specialists, and 118 reading resource specialists. These professionals' positions are presented here on such issues as nature of diagnostic populations serviced, diagnostic tests employed, informational sources utilized, and diagnostic factors considered in typical assessments of reading disorders. Although the groups differed with respect to each of these issues, similarities did emerge. All groups identified language deficits as a characteristic of their diagnostic population, both types of professionals utilized tests of reading potential and reading skills, and all three groups considered causality, strengths and weaknesses, and language deficits to be important in the diagnosis of reading disorders. Educational implications of the findings are noted.