The concomitance of learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders: a conceptual model

Although research has documented overlapping and coexisting characteristics of learning disabilities and emotional/behavioral disorders, little attention has been paid to the subset of students who manifest symptoms of both disorders (LD/EBD). This gap in our professional knowledge/research base may be due to (a) exclusive language in federal definitions that promotes differentiation of disabilities rather than recognition of symptom overlap; (b) the lack of a conceptual model of concomitant learning and emotional/behavioral disorders; and (c) the absence of a research focus on this population. In this article, we construct a conceptual model involving six critical domains of relevance to students with LD/EBD. After describing the utility of this interactive and functional model, we highlight critical issues in screening, assessment, and programming for children with concomitant LD/EBD.