d not require positive evidence of cerebral disorder; it only appeared to provide discrepancy between expected intellectual ability and actual academic performance (Westman, 1990).
In 1981 the National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities proposed a more realistic definition. Learning disabilities is viewed as a generic term referring to a group of disorders manifesting difficulties in acquisition and use of listening, speaking, reading, writing, reasoning, or mathematical abilities. The disorders are viewed as intrinsic and due to central nervous system dysfunction although they may occur concomitantly with other emotional or environmental conditions (Westman, 1990).
Advantages to the learning disability concept include the increased focus regarding reasons and remedies for children's learning difficulties in school. A point of controversy includes that bias, label, and values are placed on the child; educational standards and testing tend to value capacities such as verbal abilities that favor academic achievement more than other abilities. The learning disability concept implies a generalized difficulty in all learning when it actually refers to academic learning measured by normative tests; other learning is not measured or recognized (Westman, 1990).
Westman (1990) reports that language is a part of character development and a reflection of that development; it is necessary for competency in academic
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