ABSTRACT
This white paper addresses whether sufficient scientific knowledge exists to recommend that schools use direct assessment of intrinsic processing abilities to identify students with learning disabilities. The commentary on this paper is divided into three parts: (a) the issue at stake, (b) Torgesen’s position, and (c) other points. This commentary reflects the multiple perspectives of the author as researcher (director of the Multidisciplinary Learning Disability Center and Writing Project, funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development), trainer of school psychologists (professor of educational psychology), clinician who assesses children with developmental and learning differences (licensed clinical psychologist) and consults with schools, and former general and special educator.
