A hallmark of Specific Learning Disabilities is what?

• A. Global cognitive delay.
• B. Uniform mastery across all subjects.
• C. Uneven achievement relative to intellectual ability, with persistent gaps in specific areas despite instruction.
• D. Primary sensory impairment.

Answer: (C)

Specific Learning Disabilities are marked by an uneven pattern of achievement that does not match a student’s overall intellectual ability. In practice, a learner may show strengths in some areas but persistent, specific difficulties in others (like decoding and reading, spelling, or math) despite normal or above-average intelligence and receiving effective, explicit instruction. These gaps tend to be stable over time, so the student struggles in particular skill areas even when instruction is provided and progress is monitored.

This differs from a global cognitive delay, which would involve broad, general deficits across many domains. It also clashes with the idea of uniform mastery across all subjects, since SLD involves uneven skills rather than universal strengths. And it’s not about a primary sensory problem; while sensory issues can coexist, the hallmark of SLD is a cognitive processing-based discrepancy between ability and achievement in specific academic areas.