Developed in concert with the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), this White Paper regarding specific learning disabilities identification and intervention represents the expert consensus of 58 accomplished scholars in education, psychology, medicine, and the law. Survey responses and empirical evidence suggest that five conclusions are warranted: 1) The SLD definition should be maintained and the statutory requirements in SLD identification procedures should be strengthened; 2) neither ability-achievement discrepancy analysis nor failure to respond to intervention alone is sufficient for SLD identification; 3) a “third method” approach that identifies a pattern of psychological processing strengths and weaknesses, and achievement deficits consistent with this pattern of processing weaknesses, makes the most empirical and clinical sense; 4) an empirically-validated RTI model could be used to prevent learning problems, but comprehensive evaluations should occur for SLD identification purposes, and children with SLD need individualized interventions based on specific learning needs, not merely more intense interventions; and 5) assessment of cognitive and neuropsychological processes should be used for both SLD identification and intervention purposes.

The Digit Span (DS) subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) is thought to be a measure of attention, concentration, sequencing, number facility, and auditory short-term memory. An optional WISC-III subtest and part of the Freedom from Distractibility (FD) factor, DS assesses several cognitive constructs, yet its utility in differential diagnosis has been questioned because poor DS or FD performance has been inconsistently associated with attention processes. In this study of 195 children referred for comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations, Digits Forward (DF) and Digits Backward (DB) component scores were found to be differentially predictive of attention, executive function, and behavior rating measures. Results suggest that DB is associated with attention and executive function processes, not the short-term rote auditory memory processes tapped by DF.

The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) provides a Full Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ), four factor standard scores, and subtest scale scores. Although the incremental validity of the WISC-III factor scores over FSIQ in predicting academic achievement has been questioned, this finding was based on the assumption that FSIQ should be entered first into the regression equation and failed to examine the shared variance among predictors. In contrast with previous findings, this study of 174 children meeting criteria for learning disabilities revealed that the WISC-III factors accounted for a large portion of achievement variance during hierarchical regression analyses, yet FSIQ added little predictive power. A commonality analysis of FSIQ indicated that it is largely comprised of unique, not shared, factor variance. Analyzing the WISC-III subtests from a Gf-Gc theoretical framework, academic achievement commonality analyses revealed complex relationships among the predictors, with crystallized, quantitative, and short-term memory factors accounting for the most achievement variance, regardless of academic domain. Results suggest that simple rejection of factor or subtest scores based on hierarchical regression techniques is unwarranted and that systematic exploration of nomothetic and idiographic patterns of performance is recommended for practitioners.

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