Possible symptoms of intellectual disability (ID) include delayed physical development that becomes more pronounced as the disability progresses, delayed development of gross and fine motor skills, sensory perception problems, and difficulty grasping the integrity of objects. Although there is no cure or reversal, research has shown that extensive…

This article examines the validity of IQ-achievement discrepancy and low-achievement as criteria for the identification of disabilities in Spanish-speaking ELs and the factors that moderate the validity of these approaches as bases for identification. While there has been a long history of examining the validity of different approaches to…

This report summarizes and further develops ideas discussed at a national working session held on May 23, 2014, to examine issues and options associated with initially classifying English learners (ELs). It is the third in a series of guidance papers intended to support states in large-scale assessment consortia that are expected to move toward a…

Background: Since 1992, the diagnosis and classification of intellectual disability has been dependent upon three constructs: intelligence, adaptive behaviour and support needs (Luckasson "et al." 1992. Mental Retardation: Definition, Classification and Systems of Support. American Association on Intellectual and Developmental…

Early identification of students who are at risk for writing difficulties is an important first step in improving writing performance. First grade students (N = 150) were administered a set of early writing measures and reading measures in January. Sentence Writing Quality and Oral Reading Fluency demonstrated strong classification accuracy when a…

The authors encourage those in the field of school psychology to consider the use of learning disabilities assessment practices in relation to specific American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists ethical codes and in regard to the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association,…

Piecewise latent class growth analysis (LCGA) was used to examine growth patterns in reading comprehension and passage reading fluency on easyCBM, a popular formative assessment system. Unlike conventional growth modeling, LCGA takes into account the heterogeneity of growth and may provide reliable predictions for later development. Because…

Assessment of children's restricted and repetitive behaviours offers potential opportunities to improve early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and timely access to interventions and support. To facilitate this requires understanding of the phenomenology of repetitive behaviours in ASD, including differentiating behaviours seen in ASD…

This concept paper was developed to address policies and practices for using developmental delay as a category of eligibility for young children. These policies and practices have evolved in response to changes in federal legislation and recommended practices in the field of early intervention and early childhood special education. The purpose of…

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) assumes a biopsychosocial basis for disability and provides a framework for understanding how environmental factors contribute to the experience of disability. To determine the utility of prevalent disability assessment instruments, the authors examined the extent to…

English language learners with disabilities (ELLWD) face many challenges in their academic career. Learning a new language and coping with their disabilities create obstacles in their academic progress. Variables relegating accessibility of assessments for students with disabilities and ELL students may seriously hinder the academic performance of…

Psychometric data are presented for 223 children and adults with autism, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDDNOS), or nonspectrum diagnoses who took the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic. Within each module, diagnostic groups were equivalent on expressive language levels. Results indicate substantial…

This review summarizes subject selection and diagnostic procedures documented in 142 empirical articles published between 1993 and 1997. Although most researchers reported use of standard diagnostic criteria in classifying subjects, numerous studies did not report diagnostic methods and there was often a lack of specification of inclusion and…

Outlines problems related to defining and classifying children with learning disabilities and describes the pitfalls of current assessment procedures, particularly the problems with discrepancy scores. Presents dynamic assessment as an alternative to classification procedures and reviews the results of two studies evaluating dynamic assessment.…

This article provides the American Psychiatric Association's definition of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and then gives an overview of ADD by considering the three types of ADD, the developmental impact of ADD, factors contributing to ADD, identification and assessment of students with ADD (emphasizing multimethod and consideration of…