SEVERE LEARNING DISABILITIES. The Ministry of Education recognizes that 1 - 2 % of students in the schools will be severely learning disabled. These students experience difficulties with learning that are so severe as to almost totally impede educational instruction by conventional methods. It is anticipated that the mild to moderately learning disabled will be supported at the school level by the Learning Assistance teacher. The following definition is advanced by the Ministry of Education: Learning disabilities is a processing disorder involved in understanding or using symbols or spoken language. These disorders result in a significant discrepancy between estimated learning potential and actual performance. Generally, a discrepancy of two or more years on grade equivalent scores or a similar discrepancy on standardized score comparisons is recognized as significant. This discrepancy is related to basic problems in attention, perception, symbolization and the understanding or use of spoken or written language. These may be manifested in extreme difficulties in thinking, listening, talking, reading, writing, spelling or computing. The defined population is limited to children whose learning difficulty can be clearly identified as a communication disorder. This category does not include children with learning problems primarily resultant from factors such as:
1. Sensory or physical impairments;
2. Mental retardation;
