Reviews research on major behavior disorders in children for school psychologists who are required to evaluate severity of such disorders. Review suggests five criteria by which severity of children's behavior disorders can be evaluated: age of onset, number of settings in which problem occurs, number of coexisting disorders, pattern of problem,…

Examined how emerging body of knowledge regarding nature, prevalence, assessment, and treatment of childhood depression compares with perceptions and practices of school psychologists. Identified need for school psychologists to define concept of childhood depression. Advocates use of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (third…

Compared Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) with Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) to determine K-ABC's utility in determination of a severe discrepancy for learning disabilities classification. Found that K-ABC and WISC-R/PIAT approaches to the determination of a…

Examines limitations of standard scores of achievement tests used in diagnosing learning disabilities. Consideration of these limitations is important in deciding whether a marked discrepancy exists between ability and achievement. Recommends use of developmental standard scores over status standard scores. (Author/ABB)

Compared z-score discrepancy and regression procedure for determining severe discrepancy between ability and achievement among 236 learning-disabled (LD) referrals. Contrasted results with policy dictating that lowest achieving of referrals be considered LD. Evaluated each student with individual intelligence scale and achievement test. Results…

Examines three controversial issues surrounding differentiation between socially maladjusted and seriously emotionally disturbed students: (1) whether treatment methods should differ for two groups; (2) whether socially maladjusted are truly handicapped; and (3) the education of the socially maladjusted. Calls for a continuum of services for the…

Examined teacher judgment for determining eligibility for special education services among students referred as learning disabled. Data from 236 students indicated that reliance on teacher's ability to judge whether or not student is learning disabled would nearly double number of students identified as learning disabled and result in far more…

To determine whether the preponderance of males in classrooms for the learning disabled (LD) constitutes sexual discrimination, an objective index involving the discrepancy between expected and actual achievement was calculated for each student. No evidence was found to indicate sexual bias in diagnostic and placement practices. (Author/ABB)

Conducted 3-year catch-up prospective study of 654 rural special education students. Record review of handicapped students from preschool through secondary school revealed that 32.8 percent had classification change. Changes in type of program occurred for 33.1 percent, and changes in frequency of services occurred for 71.2 percent of students in…

Examined the diagnostic utility of two patterns of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised in differentiating 64 emotionally impaired children (ages 5 to 18) from 290 controls. Data analysis showed neither the high similarities-low information or verbal-performance discrepancy patterns yielded a useful rule for diagnosing emotional…

Public Law 94-142 denies socially maladjusted students services for the seriously emotionally impaired unless determined these students are seriously emotionally disturbed; thus practitioners must be able to reliably distinguish between these two conditions. Developed a set of items to differentiate between these two groups. Eleven items met the…

Rural students (n=654) with disabilities from preschool through secondary school were analyzed to determine the incidence of and factors involved in categorical or programing changes. Rates of change varied significantly among classifications; and the student's initial classification, grade level, and comorbidity were predictive of change in…

Examined racial, gender, intellectual, achievement, and grade-level status of 344 students referred for learning disabilities diagnosis. Found that being white, older, and of higher intelligence and achievement were characteristics of those found ineligible despite severe discrepancy. Being female and less academically able were characteristics of…