Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are thought to affect approximately 10% of the population and have a profound effect on educational outcomes (1).

DMS-V defines Specific Learning Disorder (formerly designated as Disability) as a neurodevelopmental disorder of biological origin manifested in learning difficulty and problems in acquiring academic skills markedly below age level and manifested in the early school years, lasting for at least 6 months; not attributed to intellectual disabilities, developmental disorders, or neurological or motor disorders. According to the DMS-V diagnose should also specify if the SLD occurs with impairment in reading, in written expression and/or in mathematics and the current severity of the impairment in the affected areas: mild, moderate or severe (2).

This Disorder is placed among others that compose the group of Neurodevelopmental Disorders like Intellectual disabilities, Communication disorders, Autism spectrum disorder, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Motor disorders, Tic disorders and other neurodevelopmental disorders (2). These disorders can co-occur, and, in fact, this happens quite often. For example, some population-based studies with children from grade 2 to 4 found that 23-49% of children with literacy problems had also numeracy problems (3); other studies found that 33-45% of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder also suffer from reading disorders (4); and 11% from dyscalculia (5).

Unlike learners with intellectual disability, who need at least some educational support in all curriculum areas and, in severe cases, support in daily living, those with SLD need support mainly in those areas of specific weakness (6).

Though neurodevelopmental disabilities are congenital they are frequently identified late in childhood, mainly because specialized assessments are difficult to access, teachers and parents are often poorly informed about them (6), and often involve costs that schools and families struggle to bear, especially in medium to low income countries like Portugal. This means children with SLD are not getting the appropriate intervention or receiving it much later than it should be. In result there can be underachievement in school and disengagement by the children affected, sometimes leading to the aggravation of the impairment caused by the disorder, appearance of anti-social behaviours, social and educational exclusion and even criminality. Improvements in early detection combined with focused interventions could prevent problems developing and create broad and lasting benefits for the child and society (7).

The Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory is an assessment device composed of items taken from the research and theoretical literature on specific learning disabilities, especially regarding its neuropsychological aspects. It allows the identification of specific learning disabilities by evaluating the intrinsic processing disorders that underlie and give rise to them and can be used by a wide range of professionals: psychologists, special educators, speech-language therapists among others of the same field of expertise (6).

The Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory (LDDI) is designed to be used with students from grade 3 to 12 or aged 8 to 18 years old. It is an inventory composed of six independent scales: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Reasoning.  Each scale contains 15 items that describe specific behaviours associated with learning disabilities in a particular content area. Each item is rated according to the frequency with which the individual exhibits the behaviour described. Raters should be professionals or other qualified persons who work closely with the individual and are familiar with his/her skills in each of the content areas (6). Not being an ability or achievement measure, it provides reliable and valid information to point out students with a profile similar to of those with SLD and that therefore should be subject to a comprehensive assessment to confirm or refute this diagnose. Thus it is an interesting screening tool for SLD.

(1) Butterworth, B. & Kovas, Y (2013). Understanding Neurocognitive Developmental Disorders Can Improve Education for All. Science, Vol 340, pages 300-305. (2) American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing. pp. 31–86. (3) Landerl, K. & Moll, K. (2010). Comorbidity of learning disorders: prevalence and familial transmission. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Vol 51, Issue 3, pages 287–294 (4) Sexton, C. et al (2012). The Co-occurrence of Reading Disorder and ADHD Epidemiology, Treatment, Psychosocial Impact, and Economic Burden. Journal of Learning Disabilities, Vol 45 num 6, pages 538-564. (5) Landerl, K., Göbel S. & Moll, K. (2013). Core deficit and individual manifestations of developmental dyscalculia (DD): The role of comorbidity. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 2, pages 38-42. (6) Hammill, D. & Bryant, DB. (1998). Learning Disabilities Diagnostic Inventory – Examiner’s Manual. Pro-ed. Austin (Texas): US. (7) Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (2008). Final Project report – Executive summary. The Government Office for Science, London. (8) Eremenco, S. Cella, D. & Arnold, B. (2012). A Comprehensive Method for the Translation and Cross-Cultural Validation of Health Status Questionnaires. Evaluation & the Health Professions, 28, 212-232. (9) Gjersing, L. Caplehorn, J. & Clausen, T. (2010). Cross-cultural adaptation of research instruments: language, setting, time and statistical considerations. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 10:13. (10) Almeida, L. & Freire, T. (2003). Metodologia da Investigação em Psicologia e Educação, 3ª Edição. Braga: Edições Psiquilibrios.