This study compared state disparities in the diagnosis of students with learning disabilities. It found that state prevalence of learning disability was moderately explained by demographic and sociopolitical factors (unlike four common physical disabilities) and that these same factors strongly predicted the extent of mainstreaming and the size of…

Listening comprehension and recall abilities for social studies lectures were examined and compared in 20 adolescent males with language-learning disabilities (LLD) and in 29 controls. Regardless of lecture type (comparison or causatory expository discourse structures) or question type (literal or inferential comprehension), the performance of the…

Examined effects of combining cross-age tutoring, peer tutoring, cooperative learning, and computer-mediated writing in a peer-assisted learning package on writing skills of second through sixth graders with learning disabilities. Found that the treatment group enjoyed working with partners, asked each other for help, had friendships extending…

This paper describes the program of a special school in British Columbia for youth with behavior disorders and either learning disabilities or intellectual impairments. Program components (behavior therapy, activity-based learning, and attachment development) and program sequence (assessment, formulation and implementation of a Growth and…

This study examined placement outcomes for 133 individuals (most aged 17 to 21) with mental retardation or severe learning disability. Nearly 50% of the men but only 1% of the women were competitively employed. Results suggest the need for more rehabilitation training for women, focusing on self-determination skills (assertiveness, self-advocacy,…

Presents findings from five studies measuring students' attitudes towards mathematics, perception of performance, perception of the importance of mathematical problem solving, and perception of problem difficulty. The interaction of affect and cognition and the implications for assessing and teaching mathematical problem solving to students with…

Investigated the impact of integrated proofreading strategy training, which combined a computer-based spelling checker and student strategies, on the proofreading of three secondary students with learning disabilities. Students showed an increase in strategy use and percentage of spelling errors corrected on controlled proofreading materials and…

A year-long study of an innovative approach to mathematics, which emphasized in-depth problem solving and achievement of automaticity through math games, found such methods to be viable for students with average and above average academic abilities, but students with learning disabilities or at-risk students need much greater assistance if they…

A meta-analysis of 30 studies found the following learner characteristics influenced the treatment responsiveness of early literacy interventions: rapid naming; problem behavior; phonological awareness; alphabetic principle; memory; IQ; and demographics. With the exception of the demographic category, the obtained effect sizes for the primary…

College students (n=204) who had difficulties in both foreign language and math (FLD/MD), only math difficulties, or only foreign language difficulties (FLD) were studied. The students with FLD showed a pattern of deficits on subtests measuring grammar and spelling, long-term memory, and visual phonology. More males were referred for FLD.…

A 2-year study evaluated the relationship among psychosocial adjustment, changes in academic skills, and contextual factors in 100 children (ages 7-11) with learning problems. Contextual variables were significantly associated with psychosocial adaptation, including the effectiveness of the clinical assessment, extent of academic support, and the…

Presents recent research results from magnetic resonance imaging on the neurological characteristics of individuals with dyslexia. Describes how the brain is normally used in reading and how a neurological "glitch" prevents individuals with dyslexia from easily gaining access to parts of the brain responsible for analyzing and…

This article analyzes factors related to bringing research-validated practices to scale to enable implementation of responsiveness-to- intervention models in special education. Key components of effective literacy programs are discussed, along with findings from reading intervention research. The need for professional collaboration among…

This article discusses problems in the psychological processing theory for learning disabilities assessment and describes the development and potential use of an interactive diagnostic system for testing students' processing skills for learning disabilities. (AEF)

Presents the author's perspective on the topic of educational intervention for students with learning disabilities through a discussion of using validated, curriculum-based measurement as a determinant of effective instruction. Also examines the optimal characteristics and ethics of intervention research and the dissemination and implementation of…