Download or read book Perceptions of the Effects of Poverty on the Identification of Learning Disabilities written by Alicia A. Hines and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The purpose of this qualitative study is to research the perceptions of elementary school teachers and school psychologists about the influence of poverty on the special education identification process. Participants included K-6 teachers and school psychologists employed by one school district in southeastern Pennsylvania. A total of 24 participants,20 general education teachers, two special education teachers, and two school psychologists, completed an online, researcher-designed survey consisting of demographic questions, 24 Likert-scale statements and four open-ended questions. Seven respondents participated in the researcher-designed interview. The perception of 20 out of 24 participants (83.3%) was that children of poverty were more likely to be identified with a learning disability. Despite this perception, the laws that guide the identification of learning disabilities list "economic disadvantage" specifically as an exclusionary factor for disability identification. Ryan (2013) stated "if either the discrepancy or the failure to respond is 'primarily the result' of the exclusionary factors, including "economic disadvantage," the students are not supposed to be identified as learning disabled" (p. 31). It is widely accepted in the field of education that leaming disabilities are intrinsic and not caused by external factors. The results of this study indicated students of poverty were in need of academic supports due to a decrease in both literacy exposure and resources. Teachers reported not feeling confident in the identification process, as well as the veracity of the student being identified with a disability as a result. Additional research is needed to investigate the best resources for students living in poverty and how to best prevent these struggling students from falling behind in the first place.