This handbook (prepared to assist charter school operators, state department of education personnel, and policymakers) reviews special education case law and legislation as well as pertinent issues that can guide charter school personnel, host or sponsoring districts, and state agency personnel in the implementation of special education in charter…

This handbook is designed to address teachers' most common concerns about learning disabilities (LDs) and teaching adults with LDs. Section 1 defines LDs by describing traits that adults with LDs share. Section 2 focuses on identification of students with LDs. LD characteristics are divided into eight categories: academics, speech/language, motor…

This paper describes service delivery to Maine's preschool exceptional children (ages 3 to 5) in the context of a public school setting, and examines the relationship among Maine's Department of Education, Department of Human Services, Department of Mental Health/Mental Retardation, School Administrative Units, Child Development Services (CDS),…

This document discusses legal considerations in the identification of Michigan students with learning disabilities and suggests guidelines for meeting legal requirements in a systematic and consistent manner. An introduction outlines issues and problems related to the assessment of learning disabilities and provides a rationale for the importance…

This paper discusses the characteristics, identification, and curriculum needs of gifted students who also have learning disabilities. Three different subgroups of twice-exceptional students are described: (1) students who have been identified as gifted yet are exhibiting difficulties in school; (2) students identified as having learning…

This annotated bibliography was prepared as a resource to help institutions of higher education create an institutional climate conducive to the academic success of students with learning disabilities (LD) on their campuses. The entries were compiled from searches of three computerized databases as well as a manual library search. The selected…

This study examined the incidence of creativity among individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the incidence of ADHD among individuals who are highly creative. The ADHD group consisted of 34 students, aged 6 to 15. The highly creative group consisted of 76 participants, ages 13 to 15, from the Torrance Creative Scholars…

A study examined teachers' and parents' ratings of 39 developmentally handicapped (DH) and 9 learning disabled children on the revised Vineland and the AAMD Adaptive Behavior Scale. Teachers rated children eligible for DH placement more frequently than parents. The adaptive behavior ratings of the two instruments differed significantly. (Author/CB)

Examined the role of various psychoeducational assessment devices in contributing to appropriate placement decisions for 30 emotionally handicapped, 30 learning disabled, and 30 educable mentally retarded students. Results showed that standardized tests plus teacher ratings were effective in predicting only the EMR group. (JAC)

This book aims to interpret recent research on dyslexia into practical information for those who work with individuals with dyslexia. Chapter 1 summarizes new information about how genetic codes determine brian development and how differences in brain structure cause dyslexia. Chapter 2 explains the perceptual and emotional nature of dyslexia.…

This paper describes Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that results in mental retardation. An overview of this condition is presented from the perspective of a family who traveled through the many stages of the disability from infancy to young adulthood. The etiology and characteristics of the disability are discussed, including…

This policy brief summarizes the literature and identifies responsibilities of state and local policymakers in meeting legal obligations to provide educational services for students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Presented in a general question-and-answer format,…

Designed for parents, this brochure uses a car-trip analogy to describe special education services for students with disabilities. It addresses: (1) child find; (2) initial evaluation and eligibility determination; (3) categories of students who receive special education services and related services; (4) creating a home file to organize…

The Scale for Assessing Emotional Disturbances (SAED) is a standardized, norm-referenced scale used to identify children who qualify for the federal special education category of "emotional disturbance". It uses the five conditions on which identification of emotional disturbance is based under the Individuals with Disabilities Education…

This paper reports the results of a study that investigated the reading differences between students who were low achieving, both with and without the label of learning disabilities (LD). Seventy-nine studies were chosen to calculate reading performance differences between low achievers with and without the LD label. The substantive and…