ABSTRACT
Since the early 1940s there has been expansive growth in speculation, theorizing, and research on learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit disorders (ADD) in the general population. This chapter attempts to contextualize and synthesize the small literature on LD and ADD in the deaf population. It addresses the educational relevance of studying LD and ADD in the deaf population. This is followed by a description of the history of LD and ADD definitions and the role of definitional issues in relegating LD and ADD among the deaf population to the backwater of academic and professional interest. Specific information is presented on the estimated incidences of LD and ADD in the deaf population and on current approaches to evaluating LD and ADD in deaf individuals. Finally, a discussion of current and future research directions for the deaf population based on advanced developments in the mainstream literature on the hearing population is described.
