A comparative study of adults with and without self-reported learning disabilities in six English-speaking populations: what have we learned?

The purpose of this study was to compare adults with and without self-reported learning disabilities (SRLD and NSRLD) from six English-speaking populations including: English-speaking Canada, Great Britain, The Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, and the United States. These six populations were selected because they were all English-speaking populations, participated in the first administration of the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS), and included the optional questions regarding the presence of a disability. In this study, we compared the groups on prevalence by population, percentage of each group by age and gender, awareness of learning disabilities and problems in school, document and quantitative literacy proficiency, educational attainment, reasons for dropping out of school, and employment, occupational and financial status. Findings were reported among these six populations within an historical perspective including differences in awareness and definition of learning disabilities, public policy, special education services, reading pedagogy, and teacher preparation. Recommendations are made for improving literacy and long-term outcomes for those with learning disabilities in all nations as well as future research directions.