Fwd: Please Take Action: The DSM-V -- An Opportunity for Improved Practice

April 15, 2010

____________________________________

From: ncld@...

To: rmgarcia10@...

Sent: 4/15/2010 8:11:46 A.M. Central Daylight Time

Subj: Please Take Action: The DSM-V -- An Opportunity for Improved Practice

National Center for Learning Disabilities

The DSM-V: An Opportunity for Improved Practice

The National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD) is writing to ask

for your help. A revision of the 2000 edition of the Diagnostic and

Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (known as the DSM-IV) is

currently underway, and changes to this guide could have a powerful

impact on how decisions are made to identify ( " diagnose " ) and provide

services to individuals with learning disabilities.

Deadline for feedback to the DSM-V Task Force is

April 20th. Please act now!

Whether you are a parent of a child with LD, an educator or school

administrator, psychologist, speech-language pathologist, physician or

other related services provider, your feedback is critical to ensure

that the classification systems that support individuals with learning

disabilities (LD) and related disorders are up-to-date and sensitive

to the most current knowledge in the field of LD.

Please don't delay in submitting your comments - the deadline is

Tuesday, April 20th!

To comment on the DSM-V, please follow the steps below.

* Go to DSM5.org. Look on the right side of the page and follow

the direction to " Participate " (

http://ncld.convio.net/site/R?i=UUvQAiK_6Zy1hwopsZG-Mw..

Note: This is a multi-step process, involving a confirmation

email.)

* Once you are logged in, click on the line that reads Disorders

Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence.

Click on " Learning Disabilities. "

* You may use NCLD's recommended text for the comment box provided

for each category, modify them, or write new comments to express

your concerns and recommendations.

On the main " Learning Disabilities " page (NCLD's recommended text)

To better align the DSM-V with current research and practice in

learning disabilities, the following revisions in classification are

recommended:

* " Learning Disabilities " be used as an overarching category with

subtypes including disorders of:

To enhance the effectiveness of the DSM-V in determining the status of

individuals who present with disorders of learning and behavior, the

following revisions in language are recommended:

* Difficulties in academic learning cannot be attributed to

intellectual disability, sensory impairment, emotional disorder

or lack of educational opportunity

* Multiple sources of data need to be used to assess academic

skills, including but not limited to norm-referenced measures of

academic achievement

* Evaluation measures need to be culturally appropriate

* " Contextualized assessment " (e.g., measures of progress over

time, integrity and duration of instruction/intervention) should

be considered as part of the determination of a disability or

disorder

Under the category titled " 315.2 Disorder of Written Expression "

(NCLD's recommended text)

Disorders of written expression should be included under the Learning

Disabilities category as there is a significant and growing body of

research to support this subtype of LD, specifically disorders that

are not explained by problems with reading. While individuals with

reading disabilities (dyslexia) often manifest problems in this area,

disorders of written expression can also occur in the absence of

impairments in reading. This category is needed to address the needs

of individuals who, for example, have distinct trouble in the areas of

handwriting, spelling and generating text.

Under the category titled " 315.9 Learning Disorder Not Otherwise

Specified " (NCLD's recommended text)

" Learning Disabilities Not Otherwise Specified " should be retained to

capture difficulties that do not meet criterion for other areas but

that constitute significant obstacles to learning, daily living and

social-emotional wellbeing.

Under the category titled " 315.1 Mathematics Disorder " (NCLD's

recommended text)

This category should be expanded to include both Mathematics

Calculation (dyscalculia) and Mathematics Problem Solving. Research

has shown that these comprise sometimes co-occurring but distinct

subtypes of learning disabilities.

Thank you for participating in this important opportunity!

For more information about NCLD's reccommendation to the DSM-V, read

" The DSM-V: An Opportunity for Improved Practice " on

http://ncld.convio.net/site/R?i=zL48kyE9NC-CEXxOwtRS8w..

LD.org

http://ncld.convio.net/site/R?i=viR9mnB7vityjR9LodF7RQ..

..

better business bureau

http://ncld.convio.net/site/R?i=x0PjvZsYsa7fTo2Zr_I_CA..

Meets all 20 BBB Charity Standards

http://ncld.convio.net/site/R?i=gyJiiNANmUJCCM6AMU95-w..

NCLD provides essential information to parents, professionals and

individuals with learning disabilities, promotes research and

programs

to foster effective learning, and advocates for policies to protect

and

strengthen educational rights and opportunities.

The

National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc., is a not-for-profit,

tax-exempt organization under Section 501©(3) of the Internal

Revenue

Code.

All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Share this email with a friend or colleague today!

http://ncld.convio.net/site/R?i=4AJ8CB07E4d00cybd_ZI1g..

Unsubscribe from receiving email, or change your email preferences.

http://ncld.convio.net/site/CO?i=bzhuOhG0cwxLMVPhPxfU0er7JHYe834Y & cid=0

April 20, 2010