The structural validity of the "Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition" (WISC-IV) was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis for a clinical sample of 1,537 students diagnosed with specific learning disabilities (SLD) by school psychologists in two large southwestern school districts. Results indicated that a…

Learning problems (LP) can have wider implications than the academic deficits per se. The goal of the present series of studies was to develop a reliable and valid quality-of-life measure targeted to children and adolescents with LP. In Study 1, using a 35-item questionnaire, we surveyed 151 parents/guardians of children referred for assessment of…

When classifying the evidence base of practices, special education scholars typically appraise study quality to identify and exclude from consideration in their reviews unacceptable-quality studies that are likely biased and might bias review findings if included. However, study quality appraisals used in the process of identifying evidence-based…

The purpose of the present studies was to provide the means to create brief versions of instruments that can aid the diagnosis and classification of students with learning disabilities and comorbid disorders (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). A sample of 1,108 students with and without a diagnosis of learning disabilities took part…

The comprehension section of the "Nelson-Denny Reading Test" (NDRT) is widely used to assess the reading comprehension skills of adolescents and adults in the United States. In this study, the authors explored the content validity of the NDRT Comprehension Test (Forms G and H) by asking university students (with and without at-risk…

A learning disability index (LDI) based on a principal components analysis of the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised normative data has been developed to depict verbal or nonverbal deficits on that test. Ss (N=1550) referred for educational difficulties returned mean scores on the LDI that were reliably different from expected scores…

The Basic School Skills Inventory (BSSI), a longitudinal rating scale, and the First Grade Screening Test, a group readiness test, were administered to 159 kindergarteners. (SBH)

Kindergarten children (N=103) were administered three tests of visual-motor integration: Bender Gestalt Test, Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration and Geometric Design subtest of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence. Issues discussed include interscorer reliabilities, correlations among scores, correlations…

A study involving 732 preschoolers was conducted to determine the extent to which children identified on preschool readiness test as "high risk" for development of learning disabilities demonstrate low achievement in basic school skills by the time they have completed several years of elementary school. (SBH)

The paper evaluates the empirical and theoretical basis upon which several recent studies reject the hypothesis of a visual-perceptual deficit in reading disabilities. (Author)

The study compared the performance of 18 elementary-age students with learning disabilities on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. Correlations (corrected for restriction of range) between the two instruments were strong. (Author/DB)

Analyses indicated that the poorer performance of learning disabled students on the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability, as compared to their performance on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, can be explained in terms of the kinds of behaviors sampled in the Woodcock-Johnson battery. (Author)

Using 60 fourth- to seventh-grade learning disabled (LD), normal, and gifted students, the comparability of representations of self-concept across groups was analyzed for the Sears and Coopersmith inventories. (Author/SW)