The purpose of the study was to determine whether, by item analyses, a miniscreening test could be derived from the 23-item Screening Test of Adolescent Language (STAL). The miniscreening test is recommended for large scale screening with students from the 6th through 12th grades. (Author)

The author argues against the medical model of screening children for the early identification of special education needs. He proposes an alternate system which concentrates not on labeling children, but on the improvement of instruction for all, an approach which is exemplified by the reading program in Salford. (SJL)

As a result of recent federal and state regulations, all children being considered for special education services must be identified through a team process. This article outlines the administrator's role in the Eligibility and Planning Team process that is utilized in the Fallbrook Union School District, San Diego County. (Editor/KC)

Describes a Montessori teacher's experience with a sufferer of Tourette's syndrome, a dysfunction characterized by motor and vocal tics. Studies the progress over a school year, including work on academic skills utilizing the Montessori method and behavior. Shares research, successes, and failures in trying to reach the child. (SD)

A case study of a man with intellectual disability who died of polydipsia (excessive thirst and fluid consumption) is recounted. The article describes ways to identify polydipsia in individuals with intellectual disabilities, including detecting weight gain in the afternoon. Studies addressing polydipsia's coexistence with mental disorders are…

An inventory of 424 students (grades 5-8) and study of 21 teachers found that 11.8% of the students scored in the clinical range of depression. The greatest proportion of students with depression were in grade eight, and teachers with more experience were better able to identify depressed students. (Author/CR)

A study involving 2,929 Head Start children found that 8% transitioned into special education during kindergarten and showed divergent patterns of receptive language development. Head Start children in special education differed from children in general education based on child demographic, intellectual, behavioral, and health factors. (Contains…

Asserts that although no instrument has proved sufficiently robust to recommend universal screening, screening instruments for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can play an important role. Discusses the clinical issues raised in screening for a developmental disorder, including risk status, management advice, and availability of services. Asserts…

This reprint of one chapter from the 1975 text, "Issues in the Classification of Children" by Nicholas Hobbs and others, addresses the theoretical, methodological, and empirical issues involved in the "labeling" approach to the sociology of deviance. It examines the social process of classification, the use of classification in social agencies,…

In this introductory article, a response-to-instruction approach to learning disabilities (LD) identification is discussed. An overview of the promise and potential pitfalls of such an approach is provided. Benefits include identification of students based on risk rather than deficit and early identification. Questions concern the integrity of the…

In order to locate optimal cutoff scores for detecting developmental delays, the Brigance Screens were administered to 408 children (ages 21-48 months) along with a criterion battery measuring achievement and intelligence. The Receiver Operating Characteristic analyses were then used to locate optical cutoff scores for each form of the Brigance.…

Discusses advances in the field of child language and three major findings in language development: (1) infant communication begins at birth; (2) warning signs of language delay are evident by age 2; and (3) the benefits of reading aloud to young children can be strengthened through parent education. (CR)

Demographic and perception data were collected from 63 teachers (grades 1-5) to determine the effect of sociocultural variables on teachers' perceptions of classroom behavior, management, and referral tendencies. Teachers' perceptions of a learning disability, educational level, grade level, instructional practices, and prereferral intervention…

A study involving 30 Argentineans with autism evaluated the validity of the Autism Diagnostic Inventory-Telephone Screening in Spanish (ADI-TSS). The final version of the ADI-TSS could be assessed in 20 to 40 minutes and demonstrated a high validity, high interrater reliability, and high internal consistency. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This study, involving 1,245 institutionalized adults with severe and profound mental retardation, compared individuals with and without autistic features, as assessed by the Diagnostic Assessment for the Severely Handicapped-II (DASH-II). Core and associated features of autism in this population are identified, and characteristics of persons with…