Toward a "whole life" perspective on learning disabilities in adult literacy settings : Toward a "whole life" perspective on learning disabilities in adult literacy settings : a conceptual framework to guide professional development

Here we consider the concepts of disability and difference, within the context of neurological deficits, human diversity and inequalities in learning and learning conditions, and the complexity involved in teasing out primary learning disabilities from other physical and mental conditions that often “walk beside” learning disabilities in adult literacy settings. [...] As such, learning disabilities are usually life-long, and their expression may shift and vary over the lifespan, depending on the interaction between the demands of the environment and the individual’s strengths and needs. [...] It is here that the issue of learning disabilities must be addressed in adult literacy settings in ways that attend to the “whole life” of adults, promoting the integration of learning inside and outside the classroom setting. [...] People with FASD are likely to have learning disabilities as described above, although there is a spectrum of effects, related to the amount and timing of exposure to alcohol in uteri and a range of other congenital and environmental factors. [...] Learning disabilities, learning differences and the issue of labels A growing body of literature in the LD field urges a closer look at how the label “learning disabled” operates in institutional settings, and “what counts” as a learning disability.