Are students with learning disabilities correctly diagnosed in Turkey?

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• The diagnosis of learning disability (LD) is a complex process with ongoing expert debate on optimal approaches.
• Limited research exists on the specific challenges and methodologies for diagnosing LD within the Turkish educational and clinical context.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the prevalent issues and challenges encountered in the diagnosis of learning disability (LD) in Turkey.
• To analyze the current diagnostic practices and identify areas for improvement in LD assessment in the Turkish population.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed, examining intelligence test results (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised [WISC-R]) of diagnosed students.
• Teacher referrals, and the perspectives of child psychiatrists and psychological counselors involved in the diagnostic process were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• The IQ-Achievement Discrepancy approach is the predominant method for diagnosing LD in Turkey.
• Students diagnosed with LD in Turkey achieved an average WISC-R score of 80.31.
• Professionals identified outdated diagnostic tools, a scarcity of measurement instruments, high referral rates, and a shortage of specialists as significant obstacles.

Conclusions:

• Current LD diagnostic practices in Turkey, primarily relying on the IQ-Achievement Discrepancy model, are hampered by systemic issues.
• Addressing the outdatedness of assessment tools, increasing the availability of diverse measurement instruments, and enhancing specialist training are crucial for improving LD diagnosis in Turkey.