In order to properly understand and compare traditional and innovative assessment techniques for students with disabilities, we must be able to access examples of how they work in a logical and thoughtful sequence. This finely curated collection of thirteen chapters presents ideas and research on different disability topics from key leaders in the…

Ensuring science for all in the classroom requires that all students are afforded ways to grasp key science and engineering practices; however, we know that the practice of "obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information" can be a challenging task for children with high incidence disabilities (NGSS Lead States 2013, p. 15).…

In addition to typical career development and vocational programs in general education, providing school-based programs that are directly linked to employment and career development for youth with learning and emotional and behavioral disabilities is a legally mandated service in special education. Several broad research-based strategies are…

The use of virtual environments for special needs is as diverse as the field of Special Education itself and the individuals it serves. Individuals with special needs often face challenges with attention, language, spatial abilities, memory, higher reasoning and knowledge acquisition. Research in the use of Virtual Learning Environments (VLE)…

This article offers a rationale for using portfolios in assessing students with learning disabilities or behavioral disorders; discusses possible portfolio contents, including measures of behavior and adaptive functioning, academic and literacy growth, strategic learning and self-regulation, and language and culture; lists reflective questions for…

Examined relationship among Conners Teacher Rating Scale, Revised Conners Parent Rating Scale, Revised Behavior Problem Checklist, and Freedom-from-Distractibility (FD) factor score of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised for 135 children and adolescents referred to learning disabilities clinic. Results appear to corroborate evidence…

A study used the Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (BERS) with 129 students (ages 7-18) with learning disabilities (LD), 145 with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), and 144 typical students. BERS discriminated among students with LD and EBD and controls and was able to classify students with EBD and controls. (Contains references.)…

Discusses the need to accurately assess a student's progress in mastering classroom-taught skills and to understand the skills that employers expect of students in the workplace. Presents the Inventory for Assessing the Job Readiness Skills of Students Placed in Alternative Classes, and describes steps for completing the inventory. (CR)

Destructive behavior of 9-year-old with learning disabilities was evaluated in a functional analysis. The effects of extinction, negative reinforcement, and negative reinforcement combined with access to preferred activities were compared on behavior and task engagement. Engagement occurred most and destructive behavior occurred least when…

Thirty-one students (ages 8-14) with learning disabilities or behavior disorders solved arithmetic word problems while a narrative protocol was developed. Eight types of cognitive processing difficulties were identified (such as lack of self-correction and inclusion of extraneous information), and the utility of protocol analysis as an assessment…

This action research presents data about an online Master of Arts in Education (MAE) in Learning and Behavior Disorders (LBD), P-12 at Western Kentucky University. During extensive program revisions, the program developed a collaborative assessment model while preparing more than 300 special education personnel for work in rural schools.

This article describes measures for process assessment of handwriting fluency, spelling, and composition of students with learning or behavioral disabilities. It then discusses common writing problems for these students, and specific process and strategy interventions. (DB)

The Raggio Evaluation of Attention Deficit Disorder (READD) is an objective measure for the diagnosis and management of attention deficit disorder (ADD) in children. Extensive research has been conducted on its clinical and psychometric properties, as described in Chapter 3, "Development and Standardization." The READD is a microcomputer…

This book is designed to help clinicians assess and treat children or adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder who also present other disabilities. Major comorbidities are described in depth and empirically grounded guidelines are presented for evaluation and treatment. Part 1 provides an overview of issues in comorbidity,…

Presents a diagnostic teaching unit designed to identify effective teaching strategies for fourth- or fifth-grade students with learning or behavior disorders. The unit uses "The Popcorn Book" (de Paola) for activities to evaluate the effectiveness of teaching strategies across the content areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. (CR)