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Abstract

Any definition of learning disabilities (LD), if it is to be relevant to the needs of teachers, must address fundamental educational concerns, including implications for intervention. In addition, a useful definition must be embedded in a system of educational thought. Such a system must be both internally consistent and non-reductionistic. Inconsistency within a system leads to the use of mutually exclusive and contradictory approaches with students, sometimes with the same student. Reductionism leads to the tendency to be anti-theoretical and to view basic issues of educational philosophy as unimportant. Theory is necessary however, in order to evaluate as well as to defend one's practices. The current LD literature is used to provide examples of reductionism.

While not advocating that all of us should adhere to the same specific system of thought, we argue that each of us should develop or adopt a system and try to use it consistently. The paper concludes with an example of how one could proceed as we suggest, using the cognitive-field system of thought as a base. The cognitive-field approach is shown to encompass some aspects of other approaches, to be non-reductionistic, and to have considerable potential as a foundation for the education of LD students.

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Grounding LD Definitions and Practices in Systems of Educational Thought

Abstract

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