Role of the school in serving children with learning disabilities

The term "learning disabilities" means different things to different people. Within the educational context, this term is generally interpreted to mean "specific" LDs, as defined in federal legislation mandating school districts to provide services to children with handicaps. The preceding remarks have described the major legal responsibilities of schools with regard to children with handicaps. These responsibilities include identifying and locating children who are suspected of being handicapped, providing a comprehensive evaluation of their needs, planning an individual program for the student cooperatively with the parent or parents, educating children in an environment that is the least restrictive, and providing parents with due process throughout these activities. It is recognized that neurologists count among their patients numerous children whom they have identified clinically as "learning disabled," yet who do not qualify for special education under the "specific" LDs definition employed by the school. This article provides both moral and pragmatic reasons for school districts to develop appropriate means of responding to the needs of such pupils, and examples of accommodations that may be implemented at various levels of the school's organizational structure. Finally, it suggests that by developing effective linkages between their systems, medical and educational personnel can facilitate treatment for children who are having difficulty in learning.