Articulating Learning Disabilities for the Public: A Case of Professional Riddles

Abstract

This investigation examined, through a survey of popular periodicals, the types and quantities of information that have been disseminated to the general public about learning disabilities. It was speculated that an analysis of these mainstream periodicals would provide practitioners and researchers with an insight into the kind of information that is being communicated to the public and, therefore, is likely serving to shape common perceptions of learning disabilities. A two-step process was utilized: (a) identification and selection of the most widely circulated articles on learning disabilities published from 1963 through 1984, and (b) analysis of the information contained in the articles to determine prevailing positions on etiologies and remedial interventions. The examination revealed that learning disabilities are viewed to be of neurophysiological origin and that remedial interventions should include multiple instructional methods and accommodate the individual aptitudes of the learner.