ABSTRACT
One goal of this volume is to consider some of the ways that contemporary views of intelligence can contribute to research and theory on learning disabilities. In this chapter we present some of the implications of contemporary work in the cognitive sciences for understanding interpretive issues associated with the terms intelligence and learning disabilities. Our emphasis, however, is not on the terms intelligence and learning disabilities per se but on the analysis and understanding of individual differences in cognitive competence. Implicit in the terms intelligence and learning disabilities is the idea of individual variation among learners. What has been problematic, however, is how to conceptualize such variation and what to do about it in the educational environment. The pragmatic solution has often been operational classification and categorization schemes that occur in the absence of any real understanding of individual cases. We feel that the real issues of significance have to do with going beyond global, and often poorly defined, constructs to detailed representations of individuals’ knowledge and cognitive skill. Thus, a primary goal of this chapter is to illustrate how contemporary thinking can provide for a richer understanding and analysis of individual differences in cognitive competence and why that should be the focus of attention.
