An Appreciation of Learning Disabilities: The Value of Blue-Green Algae

Abstract

In this article, I argue that creation of learning disability (LD) has served scientific, if not always policy, purposes. Debate over classification of natural variation is normal. Consensus on the mere existence of LD unleashed a beneficial search for better understanding of individual differences. Forty years of research may not have resolved all important problems, but it has produced inventive, creative tools that benefit both investigation and intervention and has discredited earlier beliefs about LD. Possibly, we are now on the threshold of understanding the complexity of LD development, natural history, and expression in schools.