The Importance of Motivation for the Future of the LD Field

If the LD field is to make important breakthroughs in coming years, it must avoid becoming insular and parochial. There are important ideas to be gleaned from the work of individuals not enmeshed with the specific problems we confront everyday. Individuals outside the LD field can bring fresh perspectives that allow us to see beyond the boundaries of our current frameworks and procedures. They often see what's missing and suggest important connecting links to improve the way we understand and deal with learning disabilities. As an example of the potential value of soliciting outside viewpoints, we asked Edward Deci and his colleague Cristine Chandler to read over the papers included in the series of articles on “The Future of the LD Field” and to analyze and comment on our field's future from the perspective of Deci's distinguished work on human psychology. The result is a provocative discussion that first reviews the papers in the future series with reference to definition, etiology, prevention, and treatment, and then suggests that a key element missing in most of the presentations is a sophisticated and systematic concept of human motivation. Deci and Chandler offer a brief outline of basic psychological concepts not widely discussed in the LD field and apply these concepts with regard to both the treatment of learning disabilities and to the processes used to support and supervise the efforts of teachers. Their analysis and ideas have profound implications for LD theory, research, and practice, and warrant careful attention from those concerned with advancing the field.—Howard S. Adelman and Linda Taylor, Guest Editors