We investigated the effect of conceptual transparency in the physical structure of manipulatives on place-value understanding in typically developing children and those at risk for mathematics learning disabilities. Second graders were randomly assigned to one of three manipulatives conditions: (a) attachable beads that did not make the…

Specific learning disabilities (SLD) identification has consistently been shown to be problematic; however, research has largely focused on SLD identification using test scores only. The present study, therefore, examined SLD identification decisions across identification methods and student evaluation data levels, including test scores,…

In this article, we provide an overview of current knowledge on the underlying cognitive deficits associated with mathematics learning disabilities (MLD). We highlight difficulties surrounding the identification of MLD that include inconsistency in defining MLD, comorbidity with other disabilities, problems associated with assessment tools and…

This study investigated the effectiveness of "Solve It!" instruction on students' knowledge of math problem-solving strategies. "Solve It!" is a cognitive strategy intervention designed to improve the math problem solving of middle school students with learning disabilities (LD). Participants included seventh- and eighth-grade…

Responses of forty-eight elementary and middle-school learning disabled and 48 normally achieving students to the Perceived Competence Scale for Children were compared. Although LD children rated their cognitive and physical abilities more negatively than nondisabled peers, they were not more likely to express general dissatisfaction with self or…

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…

After viewing short segments from soap operas revealing subtle emotional and social relationships, the children were questioned to determine their comprehension of the scenarios. The LD group consistently made more social comprehension errors than did their non-LD peers. (Author/SEW)

A study synthesized findings of 41 studies that compared children with and without learning disabilities in reading on immediate-memory performance. Results indicate children with learning disabilities were distinctly disadvantaged compared to average readers when memory manipulations required the naming of visual information and task conditions…

This study compared the spatial-geometrical abilities of 85 students (ages 5-13) with learning disabilities (LD) and 94 children without LD, matched for IQ and age. Generally, students with LD did not perform as well as same-aged students without LD, suggesting that LD students experience delayed development in this general spatial-cognitive…

The social-perceptual abilities of 64 learning disabled (LD) and non-LD elementary school students were compared using the Test of Social Inference. The increase in social-perceptual ability with chronological age suggested a developmental lag rather than deficient social functioning of the LD students. (SEW)

The Iowa Learning Disabilities Evaluation Project studied the nature and characteristics of 917 students with learning disabilities (LD), focusing on gender, grade level, intellectual level, referral and evaluation, discrepancy between expected and actual achievement levels, placement, service delivery, and academic performance. Characteristics…

Results showed LD children's cognitive and affective role taking skills to be poorer than those of age-matched controls. However, performance on these tasks was not related to measures of peer domain social skills. Instead, these were found most consistently to relate to hyperactivity ratings. (Author/SEW)

Twenty-six articles including information about the cognitive and academic characteristics of learning-disabled college students are reviewed, focusing on levels of intellectual functioning, reading achievement, mathematics achievement, written expression, and foreign language performance. Research needs and implications for service provision are…