Discusses developmental apraxia of speech (DAS), a putative diagnostic category for children whose speech errors differ from errors of children with developmental speech delay and resemble errors of adults with acquired apraxia of speech. A study of 148 children with language impairments investigated the diagnosis of DAS. (Author/CR)

This article addresses the proposal of Shaw and others (1995) to replace the current federal definition of learning disabilities with an operationalized version proposed by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities in the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Comparison of Shaw's recommendations with…

Measures of transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) reproducibility were obtained for 506 ears of 260 children and young adults. Findings suggest that TEOAEs provide useful information in routine clinical practice and may be employed to screen for the presence of hearing loss in children and young adults. (DB)

This paper offers guidelines to compare the characteristics observed in children with autism and blindness and those observed in children with blindness alone. It distinguishes between stereotypic behaviors (blindisms) in blind individuals and similar stereotypic behaviors of children with autism. A table presents typical behavior patterns of…

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)

Cluster analysis of data from 166 children with autistic spectrum disorders revealed 4 subtypes with differences in behavioral and cognitive areas. The four subtypes include a typically autistic group, a low-functioning group, a high-functioning group (Asperger syndrome/schizoid), and a hard-to-diagnose group with mild/moderate retardation and a…

This study found that motor impairment levels of 12 Asperger syndrome children and 9 high functioning autistic children (ages 7-17) did not differ. Intelligence level was negatively correlated with motor impairment. Fifty percent of Asperger children and 67% of children with autism showed a clinically significant level of motor impairment.…

A review of the literature on gifted students with learning disabilities concludes that the literature is presently unable to provide empirically based guidelines for identifying and serving children who are both gifted and learning disabled. Several key problems are discussed, including identification, characteristics, and intervention.…

A study examined whether electrophysiologic techniques could identify central auditory processing difficulties in 15 low-achieving gifted adolescents. Results found that P300-wave morphology was significantly poorer for the low-achieving gifted group compared to achieving gifted and nongifted typical groups, but was not different from those with…

Presents an overview of a screening process developed by a postsecondary institution that has a comprehensive support program for students with learning disabilities. The steps in the process are outlined, as are the successes and limitations. Recommendations for programs that are considering adopting a screening process are provided. (Author/CR)

A study of 14 males with fragile X syndrome, 12 females with Rett Syndrome, and 25 individuals with other developmental disorders found that among those with fragile X syndrome, none of the 11 who did not have a diagnosis of autism met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) criteria for pervasive developmental disorder.…

Adult basic education providers in 9 states (n=555) identified barriers to providing accommodations for students with disabilities: inadequate number of agencies for assessment referrals, lack of training, inappropriate instructional materials, ineffective assessment tools, and limited budget/staff. The lack of screening and interventions for…

A protocol for screening the complex verbal, simple verbal, simple visual, and spatial working memory was tested on 125 persons with mild, moderate, and severe mental retardation. Results found the test discriminated well between levels of mental retardation, correlated reasonably well with IQ, and possessed relatively good test-retest…

This article discusses issues in the identification of learning disabilities in students with low vision and examines the academic performance of one 8-year-old student and the methods that his multidisciplinary team used to document a dual diagnosis of low vision and learning disabilities. (Contains references.) (Author/DB)

Compares the capability of three kindergarten screening instruments to correctly predict which children (n=95) would be recommended for referral to remedial programs or for retention: a Piagetian-based instrument, a general screening test, and a language-specific screen. Although the Piagetian-based test had poor predictive qualities, both the…