The author asserts that the diagnosis learning disability is applied too often and too loosely. It is recommended that the possibility be considered that poor school adjustment may be due simply to immaturity and unreadiness rather than to some general learning disability. (Author/CL)

The author reviews research on early deprivation and neglect and recounts his own experience with children whose dwarfism is attributed to abuse or neglect. The existence of specific learning disability and diminished IQ in many of these children is cited. The author suggests further attention to the problem. (CL)

The study examined the use of A. Bannatyne's Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) subtest score recategorization hierarchy in identifying elementary students with learning disabilities (LD). The results indicated that Bannatyne's pattern was of little value in differentiating between LD students and nonLD students and, if…

The author discusses the dangers of using grade equivalency scores to identify learning disabled students. Deficiencies include that grade equivalents invite misleading interpretations, assume that the learning rate is constant throughout the school year, and exaggerate the significance of small differences in performance. Standard scores are…

Thirty kindergarten children with teacher-identified learning difficulties were matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status with 30 children who were not experiencing any problems learning. The matched control group exhibited superiority on all A. Bannatyne categories. However, the predicted Bannatyne pattern for the group with learning…

Evaluates the effects of rater reliability of common IQ and achievement tests on subsequent learning disorder eligibility determinations, particularly with respect to difficulty level of individual subtests and expertise of the scorer. The study corroborates previous findings of strong interrater reliability on most subtests of common IQ and…

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (P.L.108-446) (IDEA 2004) was signed into law on December 3, 2004, by President George W. Bush. IDEA 2004 includes provisions that could lead to significant changes in the way in which students with SLD are identified. In principle, responsiveness to intervention…

Academic participation based on merit can oftentimes frustrate a young person when his/her condition hampers full participation in the process of learning. This study provides detailed sociological description of Hawaii's youth offenders with learning disabilities and the various ways they get involved with the juvenile justice system. This study…

During the past several years, one of the most frequently addressed topics at conferences and in professional journals is responsiveness to intervention (RTI). This is because it is viewed by many as a new way to think about both early intervention and disability identification. Despite its relative newness, a subset of RTI proponents contend…

Results of surveying of 41 teachers who had experience with learning disability preassessment teams (intended to focus on regular classroom intervention prior to comprehensive evaluation) suggested that teachers were pleased with preassessment team members but did not agree that the teams' intervention recommendations were successful in correcting…

Verbal and nonverbal measures of higher cognitive functions were used to examine the degree of difference between the thought processes of culturally deprived and learning disabled children. Four groups of 20 subjects (ages 8-10) were studied. Results of both traditional and qualitative scoring differentiated between the two populations. (JW)

Issues in the identification of learning disabilities among gifted children are addressed, and examples are presented to illustrate the need for detecting both conditions. Principles of programing for this group, including reducing external pressures on the child and maximizing opportunities for independent activity are summarized. (CL)

Examined the assessment processes (psychological and neuropsychological) used in the rehabilitation of learning disabled adults in a study of 130 vocational rehabilitation clients. Results indicated type of assessment was related to length of service but did not influence overall outcome. Only about half the clients were successfully…

Grade equivalent scores and standard scores for 32 elementary learning disabled were compared and yielded significant correlations. Mean grade equivalent scores did, however, significantly differ for the two reading measures but not when standard scores were used. The two math indices yielded nonsignificant grade equivalent scores. (Author/CL)

The relevance of the new National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities definition of learning disabilities is discussed in relation to the infant population. (Author/CL)