Learning disabilities with communicative disorders as related handicaps: a two-year study.

Area of Science:

• Speech-language pathology
• Audiology
• Developmental pediatrics
• Special education

Background:

• Current definitions of learning disabilities (LD) lack clarity regarding speech-language pathology and audiology.
• Limited data exists on communicative disorders as secondary handicaps in children with LD.
• Understanding the demographic profile of these children is crucial for effective service delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a demographic profile of children with learning disabilities and secondary communicative disorders.
• To analyze the impact of including these children in service delivery data for communicative disorders.
• To investigate demographic disparities in the identification and service provision for communicative disorders in children with LD.

Main Methods:

• Demographic analysis of a school population.
• Comparison of service delivery data for children with primary versus secondary communicative disorders.
• Statistical analysis of race, sex, and population ratios.

Main Results:

• 0.35% of the school population had learning disabilities with secondary communicative disorders.
• These children constituted 30.2% of all services for communicative disorders.
• A white:black ratio of 1.8:1 was observed, indicating unfavorable outcomes for black children.
• Sex was a stronger confounding variable than race, with males receiving more services for language disorders.

Conclusions:

• Children with learning disabilities and secondary communicative disorders represent a significant portion of service recipients.
• Disparities in service delivery based on race and sex warrant further investigation and intervention.
• Refined definitions and data collection are needed to accurately serve this population.