The dilemma of diagnosis in learning disabilities: Problems and potential directions

Current procedures for diagnosing perceptual and language deficits in the face of academic underachievement have resulted in a categorical expression—learning disabilities. In this paper, the contention is offered that learning disabilities so ascertained constitutes, at best, an expression, not a diagnosable entity. Current definitions may be incapable of describing a meaningful population for research or providing data that are useful for instructional management or placement. Two features are described that could become central in a diagnosable entity termed a learning disability.