The change in allowing school districts to use the more prevalent discrepancy model or the new addition of response to intervention to determine whether a disability is present has sparked discussion among educators. As districts decide which method to use, it is important to base decisions on factual and researched information. The authors hope…

While special education law has been amended several times since the statutory definition of a Specific Learning Disability (SLD) was created in 1968, there continues to be ambiguity within the field regarding the definition as well as the diagnostic criteria. This inevitably leads to a lack of consistency in diagnosis within states and among…

A Canadian context for the diagnosis of students with specific learning disabilities (LD) was investigated in the present literature review. A systematic review of the literature was undertaken to determine the current and best practices in this field. Overall, no agreed upon definition of LD was identified, although core similarities in…

The present study seeks to evaluate a hybrid model of identification that incorporates response to instruction and intervention (RTI) as one of the key symptoms of reading disability. The 1-year stability of alternative operational definitions of reading disability was examined in a large-scale sample of students who were followed longitudinally…

Reviews the history of the terms "impairment,""disability," and "handicap" in the stuttering literature and proposes alternate definitions that are more consistent with the use of the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps. A model is proposed for discussing the outcomes of various…

Discusses the revised definition of mental retardation in a 1992 manual by the American Association on Mental Retardation. The key principles that provided the foundation for the development of the new definition are described, including the paradigm shift from facility-based to services-based to supports-based models. (CR)

This report responds to Delaware state legislation requiring the development of proposed revised regulations for the classification of students as learning disabled (LD). The report first describes the current system, noting that in 1997 15 percent of the student population were served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and over…

This volume on the identification of learning disabilities (LD) offers chapters that provide comprehensive reviews of the research evidence underlying different aspects of LD and was the product of a 2001 general conference followed up by a small research forum. Contributors include researchers, parents, practitioners, and administrators. A final…

This study attempted to determine the number of programs for Canadian students with behavioral disorders, identify practices currently used in these programs, and examine the availability of written program descriptions. A literature review provides information on: definition and prevalence (both in general and in Canada specifically); historical…

This handbook was written to share the feelings, experiences, and knowledge of parents of children with emotional disorders. The first chapter, "Feelings Come First," considers recognition of unusual behavior patterns underlying emotional disturbances and the difficulty of determining their causes, their impact on the family, and coping…