Educational Practices and Services for Students with Learning Disabilities in Oman: Proposed Guidelines.

The purpose of this paper is to provide description, analyses, and insights with respect to the procedures and services currently available to students enrolled in the learning disability (LD) program in Oman. Traditionally, students in Oman were identified based on low academic achievement by the end of first grade without applying any exclusionary criteria (e.g., low IQ and inadequate instruction). This simple approach of using low academic achievement to diagnose LD does not accurately reflect the meaning of LD (i.e., unexpected underachievement) and it has led to the formation of a heterogeneous group of students enrolled in the program. The overall conclusion is that adequate practices, appropriate services, and equal opportunities are yet to be fully provided based on the current knowledge on LD. Therefore, a proposed set of guidelines to identify students with LD is presented to create consistency and cohesiveness in determining eligibility and to provide better services that could benefit not only children with LD in Oman, but also in countries with similar circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]