The concurrent validity of three types of reading ability assessments was evaluated with 312 Australian primary-level children. Results suggest that the nature of the skills required for success in reading changes in the primary years, and that both teacher-based and test-based assessments concur more closely as children progress through the…

To identify classroom behaviors that differentiate primary-level students with learning disabilities (LD) from their nondisabled peers, two scales of 83 items each were devised and piloted. Two subscales and 18 individual items were found to discriminate students later classified as LD and those referred but not subsequently classified as LD.…

Comparison of scores on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised of 67 students (ages 6-12) referred for possible learning disabilities found strong relationships among all the global standard scores on both instruments with different score patterns for those with severe disabilities.…

This study compared level of agreement among four models used to diagnose learning disabilities (LD), including the simple discrepancy, intraindividual, intellectual ability-achievement, and underachievement models. The simple discrepancy model diagnosed significantly more college students with LD than the others. The highest agreement was between…

The construct validity of Boder's typology of dyslexia was investigated using quantified electroencephalography with 39 children (ages 7-11) during a reading task and at rest. Results supported beta frequency differences in anticipated regions by dyslexia subtype during the reading task. However, the direction of difference hypothesis was not…

This study evaluated the external validity of a measure of IQ subtest variability, the profile variability index (PVI), with a sample of 146 children referred for psychological testing. Correlation of PVIs on each intelligence test with achievement scores and indexes of discrepancy between actual and predicted scholastic achievement found…

For successful classification of children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, major issues include (1) the need for explicit studies of identification criteria; (2) the need for systematic sampling strategies; (3) development of hypothetical classifications; and (4) systematic assessment of reliability and validity of hypothetical…

Twenty-two elementary-aged children with reading difficulties were administered multiple assessments, including the Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT), Simple Reaction Time, and Complex Reaction Time. Results did not support a relationship between impulsivity, as measured by the MFFT, and academic progress in a classroom setting. (Author/JDD)

The use of standardized psychoeducational diagnostic instruments to identify learning disabilities was evaluated with 19 students (ages 7 to 13) with sensorineural hearing impairments. Students with hearing impairment were found to demonstrate learning disabilities with a frequency similar to that found in students with normal hearing, suggesting…

This study investigated diagnosis of learning problems in 177 boys (ages 6-13) with behavior problems. The standard score discrepancy method and standard score plus low achievement method were more likely to identify children with above-average intelligence quotients as learning disabled, whereas a regression approach identified learning…

The article examines the concepts of power and control in research design and applies them to a review of the validity of three studies (EC 600 064-066) evaluating the effectiveness of using Irlen tinted lenses with reading-disabled persons. Internal validity, external validity, statistical conclusion validity, and construct validity are…

Students (ages 6-10, n=144), grouped by age and reading ability, were administered tasks with a demonstrated relationship to reading. The concept of dyslexia was supported only for the older group, for whom dyslexia appeared to be either a phonological deficit or a developmental lag. (Author/DB)

This study of 640 twins with reading disability and 436 controls (mean age 12) examined external validity of the distinction between specific reading retardation and reading backwardness, in 3 domains: genetic etiology, sex ratio and clinical correlates, and neuropsychological profiles. There was no evidence of differential genetic etiology of the…

This study examined the utility of Wechsler's Deterioration Index, which compares short- and long-term memory capabilities. Three studies with a total of 120 children (ages 6-14) found that the index did not predict learning disability status but did distinguish children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder from nondisabled children.…