The InteragencyCommitteeon Learning Disabilities definition implies that learning disabilities can be diagnosed if onlysocial skills deficits are present, even if academic difficulties are not. This criterion overlaps with current eligibility criteria for emotional disturbance as well as assumptions underlying the nature and extent of social skills deficits in children or adolescents with learning disabilities. These issues are reviewed in this article along with implications in assessment and treatment. It is concluded that social skills deficits not be viewed as a primary diagnostic criterion in learning disabilities.
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