Adults with learning disabilities: current and future research priorities.

Area of Science:

• Adult Learning Disabilities Research
• Special Education Research

Background:

• Current literature on adults with learning disabilities (LD) is reviewed.
• Research is organized by life settings: community, postsecondary education, and employment.
• Longitudinal studies concerning adults with LD are also examined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current state of research on adults with learning disabilities.
• To propose research priorities for the 1990s.
• To describe and compare various research methodologies.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing research on adults with learning disabilities.
• Analysis of studies across community, postsecondary, and employment settings.
• Examination of longitudinal data and research methodologies.

Main Results:

• Identified research gaps and areas needing further investigation.
• Outlined specific research priorities for the adult LD population.
• Highlighted the need for research across diverse environments and lifespan stages.

Conclusions:

• Emphasized the need for targeted research on specific adult LD subgroups.
• Stressed the importance of identifying effective interventions in cognitive, social, personal, and vocational domains.
• Advocated for diverse research methodologies and longitudinal studies to track development and transitions.