Six Key Messages from NASP’s 2022 Position Statement on Identifying Specific Learning Disabilities 

New guidelines promote identification based on the “complexity of human behavior and learning.” 

In August 2022, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) published a revised position statement updating its recommendations for identifying students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs). Here are six important takeaways from the new position statement:  

• Evaluations to identify students with SLDs should be comprehensive. They should be based on “multiple reliable and valid sources of data” gathered by a qualified, multidisciplinary team.  

• Methods of identification should aim to reduce or eliminate the “disproportional identification of students of color, English learners, and economically disadvantaged students.”

• Those involved in eligibility determinations should build frameworks to consider the implications of culture and language, the impacts of trauma, the effects of socioeconomic conditions, the presence of vision or hearing difficulties, and the quality of academic instruction—any of which could preclude identification of SLD.

• Evaluation should consider the “whole child,” including academic performance trends measured by norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and curriculum-based tools; cognitive processes; social–emotional skills; and oral language competencies. Observing classroom interactions and gathering information from caregivers and teachers is important.  

• Evaluators should be aware of biases that could shape their judgment, and they should develop their expertise, consulting with experienced colleagues if needed. 
• Identification should not only be based on discrepancies between aptitude and achievement since that approach can lead to incorrect identification and continued disparities. 

The 2022 NASP position statement stresses the need for more research on evidence-based instruction, interventions, and identification methods. And it states clearly that multi-tiered support systems should undergird formal evaluations, no matter which identification methods are used.  

To read the full position statement, click here.  

Research and Resources: 

National Association of School Psychologists. (2022). Identification of students with specific learning disabilities [Position statement]. https://www.nasponline.org/x59975.xml