The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is the main federal statute governing special education and early intervention services for children with disabilities from birth through age 21.1 IDEA consists of four parts. Part A contains general provisions, including the purposes of the act and definitions. Part B contains provisions…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; P.L. 108-446) is the primary source of federal funding to states for the identification and education of children with disabilities. The majority of IDEA appropriations are allocated to states by formula to carry out activities under Part B, which covers 14 disability categories. Each state is…

The purpose of this paper is threefold: (1) to provide information to policymakers and government personnel who support and develop workforce development programming, policies and practices for youth, including those with learning disabilities (LD); (2) to provide a national view of the literacy and employment status of youth with LD who have low…

I use Ian Hacking's views to explore ways of classifying people, exploiting his distinction between indifferent kinds and interactive kinds, and his accounts of how we "make up" people. The natural kind/essentialist approach to indifferent kinds is explored in some depth. I relate this to debates in psychiatry about the existence of mental…

Despite the UK's recent history of promoting the social inclusion and equality of men and women with learning disabilities they remain a significantly disadvantaged group. Compared with their non-disabled peers they are more likely to be unemployed, less likely to own their own homes and are at a significantly greater risk of physical and mental…

The new definition of learning disabilities proposed by the National Joint Committee for Learning Disabilities is discussed in terms of its need, procedures followed in its development, the Committee's intention regarding critical elements, and the definition's current status (acceptance by four of the six member organizations). (DB)

The article presents an overview of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities, the organizations it represents, its history, its mission statement, a listing of its position papers, and the process by which it operates and takes positions. (DB)

The Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability (Northern Ireland) was established in October 2002 to examine all aspects of the law, policy and provisions that affect people with mental health needs or a learning disability in Northern Ireland. Its report "A Comprehensive Legislative Framework," which deals with the reform…

The article describes the eligibility model developed by the community college system of California for students with learning disabilities. Major activities of the research and development process leading to the eligibility model are detailed including components, procedures, and criteria. The process combines clinical and databased evidence with…

Most conceptualizations of learning disabilities are based on discrepancies between ability and achievement, but the dimensions of this parameter have not been documented. Discrepancies for 83 third graders, 48 fifth graders, and 50 twelfth graders were compared. The use of ability achievement discrepancies to determine the need for special…

Disabled Student Services Director, Alfred H. DeGraff, tells how Boston University's programs and facilities are providing independence for disabled persons. (MLF)

The report, developed by a special Iowa task force, examined issues of definition, criteria, and identification procedures for learning disabilities as a point of departure for the examination of current practices affecting learning disabled students in Iowa. The committee's working definintion of learning disabilities is presented as a basis for…

This article describes the development of a program for college students with learning disabilities at Randolph Macon College (Virginia), focusing on recognition of the need for change, the political realities of change, and the resulting continuum of services offered to these students. (DB)

The paper discusses the impact of two legal cases. In "Board versus Rowley," the Supreme Court established a three-part standard for appropriate education of students with disabilities. In "Centennial versus Commonwealth," the Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that gifted students merit an Individualized Education Program and…

Prepared in response to a report by the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges on learning disabled students, this report describes students with learning disabilities, explains the operation of the community colleges' learning disability eligibility model, summarizes the main findings of the Office of the Chancellor's…