What are the standards to qualify as having a specific learning disability under IDEIA?
According to Center for Parent Information & Resources (2015) to be able to qualify for having a specific learning disability under IDEIA it should be defined as the following:
(10) Specific learning disability —(i) General. Specific learning disability means a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do mathematical calculations, including conditions such as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia (paras. 7).
ii) Disorders not included. Specific learning disability does not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of intellectual disability, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. [34 CFR §300.8(c)(10)] (paras. 7).
How will students qualify for a specific learning disability?
A student must be evaluated through IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) by their school to identify if the students academics and behavior are being effected by a specific learning disability.
In the past, the approach to identify a specific learning disability is the “severe discrepancy” method but now the IDEA demands states to acquire a new way to collect data that:
- Does not utilize the “severe discrepancy method between intellectual ability and achievement” (Center for Parent Information & Resources, 2015) to discover if the individual possesses a specific learning disability.
- Should allow “local educational agencies (LEAs) to use a process based on the child’s response to scientific, research-based intervention” (Center for Parent Information & Resources, 2015).
- Authorize usage of “other alternative research-based procedures” (Center for Parent Information & Resources, 2015). to discover if the individual possesses a specific learning disability.
To summarize, schools should use scientific intervention and monitor students academic data. Then the data collected from “the student’s response to that intervention (RTI) may be considered by school districts” (Center for Parent Information & Resources, 2015) in the procedure to find if the student has a specific learning disability. The student will also be evaluated in the classroom to observe them learning achievements and behavior in the subjects that they struggle with.
