Are learning disabilities discovered or constructed: The unintended consequences and failures of realism as the philosophical basis of learning disabilities theory

The historical and current conceptualization of learning disabilities was analyzed in terms of its underlying assumptions and guiding paradigms. It was determined that since its beginning, the field of learning disabilities has been dominated by the traditional realist perspective under the mechanistic paradigm. It was argued that such a perspective is inadequate in the field of learning disabilities. A nonrealist perspective as part of a holistic paradigm was suggested as more appropriate for the conceptualization of learning disabilities