The 2004 reauthorization of IDEA allowed for new methods of specific learning disability identification. Twenty years later, the field continues to be divided on what method is “best” and the literature would suggest that the Response to Intervention (RTI) and Patterns of Strengths and Weaknesses (PSW) “camps” agree on little. Four noted researchers in the field have spent time in deep discussion of the issue and will share their insights and the common ground they have discovered, including thoughts on moving the field forward, during this virtual Science to Practice Symposium.

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Speakers:

Daniel Hajovsky, Ph.D., NCSP joined the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A&M University in fall 2021 as an Associate Professor. Prior to his appointment at Texas A&M University, he was an Assistant Professor and Chair of the Division of Counseling and Psychology in Education at the University of South Dakota. He is interested in the assessment and measurement of cognitive abilities and academic skills, the identification of specific learning disabilities, and the longitudinal development of psychological and contextual factors that influence academic, social, and behavioral skills. Dr. Hajovsky currently serves as the Division Chair and Director of Clinical Training for the School Psychology Program and is a faculty affiliate at the Center on Disability and Development and Institute for Neuroscience.

Kathrin Maki Ph.D., NCSP is an Assistant Professor in the School Psychology program. Her research centers on the examination of academic interventions and data-based decision-making within multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), and the identification of learning disabilities. Specifically, she uses an ecological systems framework to (a) examine the effectiveness of specific academic interventions, (b) explore mechanisms impacting academic intervention effectiveness, (c) examine data-based decision rules to target academic interventions to student needs and to determine adequate responsiveness to intervention, and (d) evaluate the methodologies used in learning disabilities identification to ensure all students receive appropriate academic support in schools.

Ryan J. McGill, Ph.D., NCSP, BCBA-D is an Associate Professor of School Psychology at William & Mary. Prior to W&M, he was a faculty member in the school psychology programs at Texas Woman’s University and Chapman University and was a practicing school psychologist in Southern California for several years. In 2017, he was selected to participate in the School Psychology Research Collaboration Conference (SPRCC), sponsored by the Society for the Study of School Psychology, as an early career scholar and in 2018, he was an invited participant to the Institute of Education Sciences Advanced Training Institute on Single-Case Research Methods. 

Christopher Niileksela, Ph.D., NCSP, received his doctorate from the University of Kansas in School Psychology in 2012. He is an Associate Professor and teaches in the School Psychology program. He primarily teaches courses in applied behavior analysis, systems consultation, school-based practicum, and the psychoeducational clinic. His research interests are in the assessment and identification of learning disabilities, measurement of intelligence and academic skills, consultation in school-based settings, applied behavior analysis, and behavioral economics.