Learning—Deficits

This word is sometimes used to talk about specific skills that the student has not mastered sufficiently. Students may have a "deficient vocabulary" or have a "two-year deficit" in reading comprehension scores. This use of the word deficit involves a comparison of age, grade level, or ability with actual performance. The word discrepancy is the term used in Federal regulations to describe the difference between expectations and performance.

In order to receive specialized instruction according to federal law, students must demonstrate a "deficit" or "discrepancy" in developing communication skills. Individual states have different ways for determining eligibility, and some have formulas for describing this "discrepancy." Parents may request a copy of their state's most recent special education eligibility regulations for implementing the federal law (IDEA) from their state Department of Education.

The word deficit is also applied to learning functions, such as attention (an "attention deficit"), which implies that the child has limited ability to sustain attention to task.

There are many reasons why a student's skills may be "deficient," including poor schooling, inadequate teaching, and emotional difficulties, among many others. Identifying a "deficit" does not determine the cause or treatment.

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