Council For Learning Disabilities

Mission Statement:

The Council for Learning Disabilities (CLD), an international organization composed of professionals who represent diverse disciplines, is committed to enhancing the education and quality of life for individuals with learning disabilities across the life span. CLD accomplishes this by promoting and disseminating evidence-based research and practices related to the education of individuals with learning disabilities. In addition, CLD fosters (a) collaboration among professionals; (b) development of leaders in the field; and (c) advocacy for policies that support individuals with learning disabilities at local, state, and national levels.

CLD Updates:

SLD & Eligibility Under IDEA: Practice and Policy

In collaboration with our six partners, Council for Learning Disabilities is proud to announce the release of three new resources to help states and districts improve the evaluation process. The Principles for SLD Eligibility: Practice & Policy Considerations for States and School Districts (Click here to read the paper) released in July, 2019, was a joint effort of CLD and their ten partners. Recognizing that some of the eight principles in that paper lent themselves to further elaboration, we developed these three more robust resources on three of the principles:

– A Comprehensive Evaluation for a Child Suspected to Have SLD

– Effective Use of Instructional Response Data in an Evaluation

– Selective Use of Data on Cognitive Assessments Within an Evaluation

The three more comprehensive resources released today highlight policy and practice considerations that can support the implementation of these joint principles and encourage districts to move toward high-quality identification and evaluation processes.

Click here to read each of the three new resouces.

While each state has its own process for determining eligibility for special education under the SLD category and though we do not endorse a particular method for identification, there is room for improvement. Regardless of the model they use, it is imperative that states and districts continue to examine their practices and policies in an effort to better serve students.

Doctoral Funding: Check out our new information page for funding resources for doctoral students. Doctoral Program Funding

Job Postings: Check out our Job Postings page. These will be pre-approved job postings for university or other high-level positions. Look under Professional Development – Job Postings.

LDQ CALL FOR PAPERS: Go to the Learning Disability Quarterly page and see the Call for Papers flyer for more information!

LEGISLATIVE ALERTS:

July 8, 2019 - CCD's Position Statement on LRE
To read CCD's position statement and principles for meeting the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) requirement within federal education laws and regulations, click here to access the document.

June 20, 2019 - CCD's Principles and Recommendations for the Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act
To read CCD's recommendations for the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, click here to access the document.

June 18, 2019–GAO Report on Restraint and Seclusion

The U.S. Government Accountability Office has issued a report regarding inaccuracies in federal restraint and seclusion data. For more information, click here.

March 7, 2019 – CCD Statement on Recent Court Decision
The Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ Education Task Force, of which CLD is an active participant, issued a statement supporting the recent court decision ruling against the U.S. Department of Education’s delay of regulations to reduce disproportionate special education identification, placement, and discipline for students of color. Click here to access the statement.