Sally Reis's research interests are related to talent development in all children as well as special populations of gifted and talented students, including students with learning disabilities, gifted females, and diverse groups of talented students who are often underserved. She is also interested in extensions of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model…

Despite the lack of empirical evidence, the term "foreign language learning disability" (FLLD) has become popular in the learning disabilities (LD) and foreign language literature. I contend that there is not a unique "disability" for foreign language learning and suggest instead that foreign language skills run along a continuum of very strong to…

The author criticizes an article defending the concept of learning disabilities and points out methodological concerns. He asserts that the term has not only not reduced ambiguities and inconsistencies in the definitions but has increased competition for diminishing federal and state support. (CL)

Responsiveness to intervention (RTI) is being proposed as an alternative model for making decisions about the presence or absence of specific learning disability. We argue that many questions about RTI remain unanswered, and that radical changes in the proposed regulations are not warranted at this time. Since many fundamental issues related to…

Position statements of the Council for Learning Disabilities oppose the following: (1) use of discrepancy formulas in the identification of learning disabled individuals; (2) inclusion of nonhandicapped low achievers and underachievers in learning disability programs; and (3) measurement and training of perceptual and perceptual-motor functions.…

In response to Kavale and Forness (EC 630 380), this article raises four issues concerning the balance between science and politics in learning disabilities (LD): (1) LD as an objective biological entity; (2) uses of a scientific definition of LD; (3) political advocacy concerning unacceptable achievement and LD; and (4) risks in assuming…

Concept of "special education" focuses on schools' duty to develop programs that include and educate even the most difficult of the disabled. The concept of "school failure" puts the responsibility on the students, excluding them, though they also have a "disability.""Zero reject" concept, which includes all students, is recommended. (PS)

This paper examines studies of the Minnesota Institute which were interpreted as demonstrating that students with learning disabilities are not distinguishable from other low-achieving students. Results of the reexamination indicate that learning disabilities and low achievement can be clearly differentiated, even in studies indicating that little…

Reports how a teacher developed practical methods for raising the reading scores of low ability, learning disabled students. (RL)

The author was asked to address the future of the field of learning disabilities (LD) from the perspective of a director of one of the five Institutes for Research on Learning Disabilities (IRLD) funded by the Office of Special Education Programs more than 25 years ago. The theme of each of the Institutes differed; the Minnesota IRLD focused on…

This article defends research evaluating similarities and differences in psychometric performances of students with learning disabilities (LD) and students with low achievement (LA), which concluded that psychometric test performance alone was an insufficient basis for differential diagnosis. Recent criticism of the research by Kenneth Kavale and…

Two analyses are provided to demonstrate that the population of students with learning disabilities is distinct from the population of low-achievers. Reasons for different interpretations of Bob Algozzine and colleagues' research are suggested. Assumptions surrounding the reality of learning disability are explored, as are differing perceptions…

This paper outlines a model of cognitive functioning and remedial direction, based upon an information integration approach and work in neuropsychology. The approach, used primarily with low-achieving and learning-disabled students, utilizes "bridging tasks" which are paired with specific global cognitive tasks to promote generalization…

Efforts to unify categorical programs for low-achieving elementary school students must address instructional validity issues (including similarities/differences between learning disabled and remedial students in instructional levels, learning rates, and learning styles) and political validity issues (including protection and equitable…

Eight articles report on findings of the five Research Institutes in Learning Disabilities. T. Bryan reports on "The Chicago Institute for Learning Disabilities" with findings concerning children's conversational skills, how children account for success and failure, children's ingratiation tactics, children who forget quickly, and children's…