Learning disabilities' unsettling intersections: disrupting learning, cultural, socioeconomic, and environmental deficits

In this chapter, we present a critical review of the category specific learning disabilities (SLD) in the United States (US). We argue that the conceptualization of SLD can benefit from an intersectional analysis that examines the interlocking of learning with racial, cultural, and socioeconomic differences. For this purpose, we provide a brief historical overview of SLD, present an intersectional analysis showing how the notion of SLD has assumed a unitary standpoint that has de-contextualized learning differences, and demonstrate the importance of embracing a cultural vision of learning in SLD identification practices. We end with brief reflections for future SLD research.