What Is Learning Difficulties Australia Inc. (LDA)?

Updated

Learning Difficulties Australia Inc. (LDA) is an Australian association of teachers and other professionals dedicated to assisting students with learning difficulties through effective teaching practices based on scientific research, both in the classroom and through individualised instruction. It is relevant if you are an educator, speech-language pathologist, psychologist, researcher, or policymaker looking for a professional community that connects research evidence to classroom practice.

Who LDA Is For

LDA describes itself as a community of professionals committed to effective teaching. Its stated membership base spans:

  • Teachers
  • Speech-language pathologists
  • Psychologists
  • Researchers
  • Other professionals working in education

The organisation's framing is broad: "Learning difficulties is the business of every teacher." That signals its intended audience is not limited to specialists but includes general classroom teachers and those who shape education policy and teacher training.

What LDA's Mission Covers

LDA's core purpose is to assist students with learning difficulties through teaching practices grounded in scientific research. Two delivery contexts are named explicitly:

  1. In the classroom — general instructional practice
  2. Through individualised instruction — targeted support for individual students

A stated organisational goal is bridging gaps between evolving scientific knowledge and the teaching profession. LDA names several groups it aims to reach with that bridge: educational policy makers, teacher education faculties, and teachers at the chalkface.

Skill Areas LDA Addresses

LDA organises its instructional content around specific skill areas, each with its own page covering initiatives, approaches, and programs:

Skill area How LDA frames it
Reading A complex skill and a relatively recent human invention; unlike speaking and listening, humans are not predisposed to develop it naturally
Spelling Closely linked to reading but drawing on different skills and processes; at the most basic level, spelling is a production task while reading is one of recognition
Writing Like reading, not a natural skill and therefore must be taught; LDA notes many teachers do not feel well prepared to teach it
Numeracy Referred to as the ability to make use of mathematical concepts adeptly in daily life

What Membership Provides

According to LDA, becoming a member gives you:

  • Opportunities to meet fellow teachers, speech-language pathologists, psychologists, researchers, and other education professionals
  • Regular LDA publications delivered via post, including the LDA Bulletin and the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties
  • Member discounts for workshops, seminars, and conferences
  • Access to "Members Only" areas of the website, including past publication issues and conference and seminar notes

The site includes a "JOIN US!" call to action and a "Become a member" link. Pricing details are not specified in the available page content, so check the membership page directly for current fees and terms.

How to Use the Site

If you want to understand LDA's positions on instruction, start with the skill-area pages (Reading, Spelling, Writing, Numeracy), which outline the initiatives, approaches, and programs LDA considers effective in each area. If you want the professional community and publications, go to the membership route. If you are researching the evidence base itself, the Australian Journal of Learning Difficulties and the Members Only archive are the relevant entry points.