ABSTRACT
A brief review of the history in the United States helps to illustrate the global progress. When educator Samuel Kirk first used the term 'learning disabilities' to describe a group of children who had deficits in expressive and receptive language in 1963, it was a brilliant stroke of advocacy. Lucas's story highlights some important themes for educational therapists. Many international students with learning differences are coming to United States after a history of academic failure and humiliation. Some multilingual students may be at even greater risk due to learning disabilities. For educational therapists who suspect that an English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) student's failure to achieve English language literacy and academic language proficiency may be due to an LD, Rooney and Schwarz suggest importance of multifaceted assessment. Fluent basic interpersonal communication skills often mask difficulties in second language acquisition and possible learning problems, which are more likely to surface as student encounters increasingly complex academic language and literacy demands.
