ARE THERE ANY GOOD REASONS WHY READING-DISABLED ADULTS SHOULD BE DISTINGUISHED FROM OTHER POOR READERS?
Do they have different instructional needs? Although “well-controlled studies of treatment programs for adults are notably lacking” (p. 74), “there is no reason to believe…that adults with reading disabilities and other adults of equally limited reading ability should respond differently to different kinds of instruction” (p.64). Will they qualify for accommodations provided for persons with handicaps, such as untimed testing? In some cases, this may be an important consideration. Someone who is diagnosed as learning disabled qualifies for accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Will being classified as reading- disabled have psychological benefits for the learner? Psychological effects can be positive for some learners and negative for others. For example, some may be relieved to know why they have had so much difficulty in learning to read. Others may view “reading disabled” as a damaging label. And, too, the label might be used as an excuse by either learne
