Learning Disability and Cultural-Economic Disadvantage: The Case for a Relationship

A case is presented to reveal the existence of a relationship between learning disabilities and cultural-economic disadvantage. Evidence from a variety of sources is presented suggesting that the problem is most properly viewed as a complex interrelationship among the phenomena of learning disabilities, brain dysfunction, and cultural-economic disadvantage. The arguments presented reveal a strong association between learning disabilities and cultural-economic disadvantage. A comparison of the learning disabled and culturally disadvantaged groups in terms of symptomatology found them to be more alike than different. Finally, the question is asked as to why disadvantaged children are excluded from service within the learning disability framework. A reexamination of the relationship is called for since the services provided learning disabled children appear appropriate for meeting the educational needs of culturally-economically disadvantaged children.