Definitions of Learning Disabilities Used in the United States

Abstract

This article features the results of a survey of 42 state departments of education regarding their respective definitions of learning disabilities and attempts to operationalize them. A conceptual framework consisting of 15 components is presented as a vehicle for analyzing LD definitions. The definitions from the state departments were examined and discussed in terms of those components. The results revealed trends and variations in the state definitions and these are highlighted by a discussion of the approaches used in the states of Washington and Florida to operationalize the LD definition. The use of the conceptual framework and a study of functional relationships between behavior and environment are two of the procedures recommended to enhance the development of an acceptable definition of LD.