Study Results from University of Florida Broaden Understanding of Learning Disabilities (Linking Response To Intervention and Identification of a Specific Learning Disability): Speech Language and Learning Diseases and Conditions – Learning Disabilities

2026 MAY 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Mental Health News Daily -- Investigators publish new report on Speech Language and Learning Diseases and Conditions - Learning Disabilities. According to news reporting originating from Gainesville, Florida, by NewsRx correspondents, research stated, “We investigated state and national trends in the enrollment of students ages 6 to 21 under the specific learning disability (SLD) category across 15 consecutive school years (2005-2006 to 2019-2020). We used multi-level modeling to estimate the effects of state and time on SLD enrollment and conducted a policy analysis of three states (Rhode Island, Kansas, and New Mexico) to examine changes in SLD policy (including Response to Intervention) in conjunction with trends in enrollment.”

Our news editors obtained a quote from the research from the University of Florida, “Results indicate significant differences in SLD enrollment between states in the initial year and significant decreases in SLD enrollment over time, but no significant differences in the change in SLD enrollment between states. Results from the policy analysis suggest that the state policy context (including legal requirements in the SLD evaluation process), type of RTI model, and method of SLD evaluation can affect SLD enrollment.”

According to the news editors, the research concluded: “We discuss these results within the context of increased variability in RTI models.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Linking Response To Intervention and Identification of a Specific Learning Disability. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 2025;35(4):225-235. Journal of Disability Policy Studies can be contacted at: Sage Publications Inc, 2455 Teller Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320, USA. (Sage Publications - http://www.sagepub.com/; Journal of Disability Policy Studies - dps.sagepub.com)

The news editors report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Lauren N. Wong, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States. Additional authors for this research include Cynthia C. Griffin and Nicholas A. Gage.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1177/10442073231205606. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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