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A current landscape of specific learning disability identification: Training, practices, and implications
Author(s) -
Maki Kathrin E.,
Adams Sarah R.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
psychology in the schools
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1520-6807
pISSN - 0033-3085
DOI - 10.1002/pits.22179
Subject(s) - psychology , identification (biology) , strengths and weaknesses , intervention (counseling) , response to intervention , training (meteorology) , school psychology , learning disability , preference , medical education , special education , applied psychology , mathematics education , developmental psychology , social psychology , medicine , psychiatry , botany , physics , meteorology , economics , biology , microeconomics
Specific learning disability (SLD) identification procedures vary across states (Maki et al., 2015, School Psychol Quart , 30 , 457–469); however, the extent to which SLD identification methods are implemented at the district level is not well understood. Moreover, the high‐stakes nature of SLD identification necessitates extensive training, but research regarding graduate and postgraduate training in SLD is limited. This study examined school psychologists’ SLD training and practices through survey methodology. Results showed that a growing number of school psychologists use, prefer, and receive training in response to intervention and pattern of strengths and weaknesses to identify students with SLD while the use of and preference for ability–achievement discrepancy may be decreasing. However, nearly one‐third of school psychologists still reported the use of ability–achievement discrepancy. In addition, over half of school psychologists reported using state department of education guidance documents to inform their SLD identification practices. Implications for training and practice are discussed.