Three-Year Course of Learning Disorders in Special Education Students Classified as Behavioral Disorder

Abstract

To investigate the 3-year course of learning disorders (LDs) and academic achievement in a sample of students with psychiatric disorders who were newly classified by the special education category of behavioral disorder (BD). The occurrence of four definitions for LD (both discrepancy and low achievement) based on the WISC-R and the Woodcock-Johnson Psychoeducational Battery was followed in 81 students with BD from the time of their enrollment in BD classes to their first reevaluation after 3 years. Odds ratios (ORs) were used to measure stability of LDs in these students. The prevalence of any LD was 64.2% at baseline and 61.7% at follow-up. Most of the 10 possible LD categories showed significant ORs, and the average OR was 21.9. At follow-up after 3 years, students both with and without LD at baseline had approximately the same achievement standard scores in reading and mathematics, but a significantly lower score for written language. Standard scores for the students without LD consistently were significantly higher than the scores for students with comorbid LD. LDs in this unique sample of students with psychiatric disorders remained common and generally stable over the first 3 years.