Learning disabilities: An adult development perspective. Learning Disability Quarterly

Abstract. The nature of learning disabilities in adulthood is examined in relation to theoretical models and research related to adult development. This approach is offered as an alternative to the practice of conceptualizing learning disabilities as primarily reflecting the persistence of childhood disorders into adulthood. The basic assumptions of a life span developmental approach are presented, and specific mediating variables influencing adaptation to significant life events are discussed. Recent research on disabled adults is reviewed in terms of its relevance to adult development with an emphasis on a new conceptualization of learning disabilities in adults. Implications are drawn for future research and intervention directions. A fundamental goal of professionals in learn-ing disabilities, and in special education in general, is to facilitate the development of well-adjusted, successful adults. Consequently, it is encumbent upon educators to define what ac-complishment of that objective entails. This paper is based on the premise that one must have a clear conceptualization of the challenges of adult life before proceeding confidently in work with learning disabled (LD) adolescents and children. Severe learning problems are more than tran-sitory academic deficits, and as individuals with learning problems become older their problems increase in complexity. Numerous writers (e.g., Alley & Deshler, 1979) have stressed that as learning disabled children reach adolescence, the educational focus and the types of services they receive must change. The need for such changes becomes even more significant in adult-hood as the complexity and interaction of the variables associated with disabilities are further magnified (Schumaker, Alley, Warner, &amp