Definition and documentation: theory, measurement, and the courts

Definition of terms and the selection criteria for operationalizing the sta ndard of disability are critical to accessing accommodations. The purpose o f this article was to examine the research surrounding definitions and sele ction criteria for learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivit y disorder at the postsecondary level. Implications from and for the courts follow a critical analysis of the professional literature. The need for re searchers to utilize theory-based models to investigate the multivariate re lationships between and within constructs underlying current definitions an d eligibility criteria is also discussed.