Intergroup comparison studies have shown that children with specific learning disorders hold lower self-perceptions regarding their abilities than their typically developing peers, especially in an academic setting. This small-scale study investigated the potential effect of diagnostic timing on competency perceptions within a sample of…

This is the first study examining the association between victimization by bullying and attachment to both parents and teachers among students who report Learning Disorders (LD) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). A total of 1,691 seventh- and eighth-grade students in six junior high schools completed questionnaires about…

This study examined the supporting documentation submitted by students with learning disability (LD) diagnoses. The participants were 210 students who were enrolled in a college support program for students with disabilities at a private liberal arts college. Findings showed that although most students submitted a psychoeducational evaluation,…

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 345 learning disability and reading resource teachers revealed that reading specialists diagnosed a broad population of students exhibiting many diverse characteristics. LD professionals used a broader diagnostic focus, touching upon intelligence, general achievement, perceptual and motor processes, as well…

Part 2 of a two-part series, the article highlights research relevant to learning disability (LD) diagnostic practices, summarizes a study of current diagnostic practices related to learning problem referrals, and contrasts three ethical perspectives used in judging the appropriateness of such activity. (See EC 120 477 for Part 1.) (Author/DLS)

Expert systems are briefly reviewed and applications in special education diagnosis and classification are described. Future applications are noted to include text interpretation and pupil performance monitoring. (CL)

In the first of two articles, the author discusses purposes of and problems involved in diagnosing learning disabilities (LD). Sections focus on three topics: the relationship between LD diagnosis and other assessment activity, the objectives of diagnostic classification, and specific conceptual concerns regarding the LD label. (Author/SBH)

A study of the effectiveness of the multidisciplinary team approach to the identification and evaluation of learning disabled students found that such an approach seemed to be effective. (Author/DLS)

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if a single math-based chronometric task could accurately discriminate between college students with and without a diagnosed math disorder. Analyzing data from 31 students (6 in the case group, 25 in the clinical comparison group), it was found that the single chronometric task could accurately…

The relationship between intraindividual discrepancy and exceptionality was studied in 248 children in first through sixth grades. Results revealed a significant relationship between discrepancies and exceptionalities, though a relatively low strength of association was found. (Author/SBH)

Evaluation of the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery's utility in distinguishing between 30 male adolescents diagnosed as learning disabled (LD) and 30 matched non-LD students indicated that the battery correctly classified 90 percent of the sample with 6.7 percent false positives and 13.3 percent false negatives. (Author/DB)

The assessment and decision-making practices used by 44 child service demonstration centers, which provide services to learning disabled (LD) children, were investigated in a national survey. Results suggested that assessment and decision making in the field of learning disabilities are characterized by variability and inconsistency. (Author/DLS)

Responding to a reinterpretation of survey results concerning teacher education in learning disabilities (LD), the survey authors contend that practitioners must agree on definitions that limit, rather than extend, the LD population to differentiate the preservice requirements for teachers of LD students from those for general classroom teachers.…

This study found that states with low percentages of students identified as learning disabled (LD) used a diagnostic method for determining a severe discrepancy, whereas few states identifying the most students used such a method. Use of a method to determine a severe discrepancy may reduce inappropriate labeling of students as LD. (Author/JDD)

The results of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests were found to be quite similar for both learning disabled and normal Ss, with high reliability and a unidimensional factor structure. The same was found for the Keymath Diagnostic Arithmetic Test, though the assumption of a unidimensional math achievement was found to be less defensible for the LD…