Special Needs Education

» jcredmond - Learning Disability or Developmental Disability?

Can you provide any information as to how these two things are diagnosed? In the absence of Down Syndrome, say, how do you know which one you are dealing with?

Thanks.

Jodee Redmond

-- posted by jcredmond

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» Greg Cruey - Learning Disability or Developmental Disability?

In response to Learning Disability or Developmental Disability? posted by jcredmond:

Developmental Disability is a term used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for their purposes. Their web site says:

• "Developmental disabilities (DD) are severe, life-long disabilities attributable to mental and/or physical impairments, manifested before age 22."

The Centers for Disease Control has a list of things that are considered to be developmental disabilities, and that list includes things ranging from autism (which has its own placement classification in most state's for special education) and Cerebral Palsy to hearing or vision impairments (both of which also generally have their own placement classification in special education programs).

So developmental disabilities are usually diagnosed by a medical doctor.

There is, however, a category in many states called developmentally delayed; students in that classification are placed in preschool special needs programs and usually recategorized (or removed from special education) by first grade.

Learning Disabilities are easier to define. Basically, a child can be considered to have an learning disability if the child’s achievement level does not match up with their ability level in areas like their oral communication abilities, writing, reading skills and comprehension, or math. In other words, if the child has an average (or better) IQ but just can’t seem to “get it” in one of these areas, the child can probably be classified as having a learning disability.

The category of developmentally delayed and/or preschool special needs gets used some of the time because IQ tests are somewhat less reliable with younger children. It is a way of putting off a decision (based in part on IQ) as to whether a child is mentally impaired or has a learning disability.

Having a developmental disabilily as defined by health and human services doesn't necessarily make a child special education material at all. For more on that take a look at The Disconnect.

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» jcredmond - Learning Disability or Developmental Disability?

In response to Learning Disability or Developmental Disability? posted by gregcruey:

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. It turns out that the young person I was asking about doesn't have either a developmental disability or a learning disability - it's an anxiety disorder that causes her to shut down and is definitely getting in the way of her performing at school. We are now on track to getting her appropriate treatment.

Writer, Paranormal
http://www.paranormal.suite101.com
mailto:paranormal@suite101.com

-- posted by jcredmond

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