Definition and documentation: theory, measurement, and the courts

Definition of terms and the selection criteria for operationalizing the standard of disability are critical to accessing accommodations. The purpose of this article was to examine the research surrounding definitiorns and selection criteria for learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder at the postsecondary level. Implications from and for the courts follow a critical analysis of the professional literature. The need for researchers to utilize theory-based models to investigate the multivariate relationships between and within constructs underlying current definitions and eligibility criteria is also disscussed.