In order to properly understand and compare traditional and innovative assessment techniques for students with disabilities, we must be able to access examples of how they work in a logical and thoughtful sequence. This finely curated collection of thirteen chapters presents ideas and research on different disability topics from key leaders in the…

This paper aims to translate for practitioners the principles and methods for evaluating screening measures in education, including benchmark goals and cut points, from our technical manuscript "Evaluation of Diagnostic Systems: The Selection of Students at Risk of Academic Difficulties" (this issue). We offer a brief description of…

The purposes of "Guidelines for Serving Students with Specific Learning Disabilities in Educational Settings" are to: (1) Update previous guidance on serving students with specific learning disabilities (SLD); (2) Provide guidance on the implementation with fidelity of the Response to Intervention (RTI) models as well as the discrepancy…

This paper reviews current proposals concerning the definition of dyslexia and contrasts it with reading comprehension impairment. We then discuss methods for early identification and review evidence that teacher assessments and ratings may be valid screening tools. Finally, we argue that interventions should be theoretically motivated and…

The article reviews basic behavioral program evaluation designs, and suggests how they might be effectively integrated into special education programs serving handicapped (and particularly learning disabled) children. It is concluded that the techniques of behavioral design, coupled with the essentials of teaching, enable the special education…

Factors related to the assessment of learning disabled adolescents include their failure patterns, curriculum and social demands, and institutional factors. Assessment should focus on cognitive, affective, and institutional aspects. Informal assessment approaches can include interviews, observation, and trial teaching. (CL)

The article describes an evaluation procedure that observes the child's ability to use specific learning strategies. By extending on and manipulating initial responses, the procedures help determine the amount of interaction needed to influence a child's performance and identify the kinds of instructional interactions that exercise control over…

The article considers the importance of vocational evaluation for individuals with learning disabilities, notes a legislative mandate for vocational evaluation, defines it in the context of special education, describes specific evaluation tools such as performance tests and work samples, and identifies seven vocational evaluation outcomes for…

The author describes the tests he uses in evaluating students for learning disabilities, his reasons for using them, and results and interpretations based on those tests. (CL)

The article describes the oral interview, a mathematics assessment technique in which the learning disabled adolescent's thinking stragegies are examined. Both efficient and inefficient thinking strategies related to multiplication are discussed, and implications for instruction considered. (Author/CL)

This document presents the manual for a training workshop for rehabilitation counselors on the delivery of services to persons with learning disabilities. It describes how counselors are trained in the workshop to: (1) use five criteria to establish eligibility; (2) apply the case management system to the classification of learning disabilities as…

The article presents an assessment system and specific techniques appropriate for the classification and programing of mentally retarded, learning disabled, and emotionally disturbed students. Factors to be integrated in assessment are considered, sequencing aspects are noted, and suggestions are given for choosing asessment instruments. (CL)

The author describes an evaluation of persons with suspected learning disabilities. Two types of tests are considered (mental maturity and basic language skills) and examples of each are given. Sample profiles exhibiting irregular development of aptitudes are provided and observations from informal as well as formal assessment are suggested. (CL)

Assessment approaches are described which avoid the attribution of an ability/achievement discrepancy to a learning deficiency, while emphasizing the interaction between the individual and environment. The Guide to the Child's Learning Skills, learning styles inventory, and contract activity packages are discussed. (CL)

A direct assessment analyzes the task to be learned in such a way that the steps required to learn the skills are specified and the child's level within the task is determined. This assessment takes into consideration that the child's immediate environment can make a difference in performance. (Author/SBH)