Overreliance on test-based assessment of learning disabilities can produce diagnostic results of questionable validity and prove stigmatizing for the child. An instructional-based model focuses on evaluation of the child's response to teaching. Observation and analysis of the student's reaction yeilds results that are more readily translatable…

Describes the Instrumental Enrichment (IE) program, a three-year series of problem-solving tasks and exercises that are grouped in 14 areas of specific cognitive development called instruments rather than lessons. The aim of IE is to transform the retarded performer's behavior from a passive and dependent cognitive style to that of an active,…

Many learning disabled children display sensory or motor hyperactivity. They commonly have perceptual problems in sensory discrimination, memory, sequencing, figure-background relationship, and integration of multiple sensory stimuli. Recommendations are given for psychological diagnosis and educational programming to meet the needs of learning…

Investigated the effectiveness of verbal self-instruction (VSI) in increasing reflectivity in eight impulsive learning disabled children. Results showed the children trained with VSI showed reductions in impulsivity on the Matching Familiar Figures Test, but not in ratings by regular classroom teachers. (JAC)

The effects of age; disability (educable mentally impaired, emotionally impaired, and learning disabled); and time interval on the percentage of time spent in the regular classroom were studied over a three-year period. Reading, spelling, and mathematics achievement were also examined. (Author/GDC)

The author makes suggestions for teachers of special education students concerning accommodating individual needs. The suggestions include: (1) adjust the level of difficulty appropriately; (2) make only those changes which are really necessary; (3) give the poor reader a break; (4) make notetaking easier; and (5) teach for attention,…

Seventeen special education teacher trainees were observed teaching in elementary resource rooms for learning disabled and educable mentally handicapped students. Results based on student achievement indicated more effective (N=8) and less effective (N=9) teacher groups, with effective teachers presenting more trials and eliciting more correct…

Research contrasting special class placement, partial mainstreaming, and complete mainstreaming of students with mild academic handicaps is critically reviewed. Also reviewed is recent research on programs designed to improve the outcomes of mainstreaming, particularly programs directed at diminishing the rejection of students with mild academic…

Discusses aspects of first-grade promotion practices, including a study of evaluation criteria used in making retention decisions, an examination of the effectiveness of transition room programs, and the effects of first-grade promotion practices on a program for preventing learning disabilities and academic failure. (JAC)

Describes the dramatic growth in the use of microprocessor-based systems and the effects of this new technology, including microcomputers, telecommunications systems, and communications aids, on special education. Factors contributing to widespread use include requirements for individualized educational programs, increased support for special…

Calls for sensitive treatment of learning disabled teenagers by teachers. Discusses approaches that have proven effective in working with this population of students. (RBW)

Syntactic development in the oral language of learning disabled and normal students at two intermediate and two secondary-school age levels was compared using two indices, the T-unit and the Syntactic Density Score. It was concluded that no single, sensitive, numerical index exists to quantify syntactic development. (SW)

Reviews recent literature which has investigated the interaction between learning disabled adolescents' self-concept and academic, peer family, and community systems. A unique behavioral pattern of emotional disturbance may result from continuous, negative self-concept experiences. In the family and/or community, however, these students can be…

Success in general education settings is an increasingly important goal for all students, including those identified as having mild disabilities (Cobb Morocco, 2001). The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 introduces higher performance standards for all students in the general education curriculum. This situation has become especially…

Evidence based and comprehensive, this important work offers a new approach to understanding and intervening with students with learning disabilities. The authors--leading experts in neuropsychology and special education--present a unique model of learning disabilities that integrates the cognitive, neural, genetic, and contextual factors…