The purpose of the present study was to examine self-reported fears and related anxieties in children and adolescents (7-18 years of age) having learning disabilities (LD) or mild mental retardation (MIMR), and whether these fears and related anxieties differ based on gender and age. Students responded to two well validated instruments, The…

The increase in the number of slow learners and children with learning disabilities in schools in Africa has become a major issue and concern. The situation is reflected in various school-leaving examinations, where an average of 30 percent of the results are below average or failures each year. Although there are no statistical records available…

In the context of the educational system and the nature of special education in South Korea, I describe policy, practice, and research about children with learning disabilities (LD). Recently, the study of LD has attracted professionals from multiple disciplines including general and special education, medicine, psychology, and social work. In…

IQ and achievement scores were analyzed for 678 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 6-16 years of age, IQ=80) administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III; n=586) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV, n=92). Approximately 76% of children in both samples…

Responsiveness to intervention (RTI) is an innovative approach to the identification of learning disabilities (LD). The central assumption is that RTI can differentiate between two explanations for low achievement: poor instruction versus disability. If the child responds poorly to validated instruction, then the assessment eliminates…

This paper presents a rationale for teaching study skills to students with learning disabilities, a flexible study skills model, and suggestions for implementing the model. Students with learning disabilities are seen as capable of learning study skills but require specific instruction and practice and need teachers who understand learning styles,…

Two intermediate elementary grade level learning disabled students deficient in reading skills participated in a study to explore the efficacy of utilizing a token reinforcement program combined with behavioral contracting to increase the acquisition rate of sight vocabulary. Word recognition behavioral data were collected by measuring the time…

The extent to which three groups of learning disabled (LD) adolescents differed in language was examined. Ss were 30 LD students enrolled in secondary special classes, 30 LD students in secondary special classes, and 30 LD students integrated in regular secondary classes who received additional support beyond that ordinarily provided in regular…

A year long practicum for preparation of learning disability teachers is described. The first of two components provides a field based internship intended to give the student an opportunity to apply skills learned in coursework. Among 20 skills emphasized in the field based component are classroom organizational skills; communication with…

Two studies were conducted to compare the performance instability of children (grades 3-9) labeled learning disabled/brain injured (LD/BI) to the performance instability of emotionally handicapped (EH) children. In the first study, 50 LD/BI and 37 EH students were measured on three third grade reading passages twice, once within one sitting and…

Green Chimneys, a residential center for emotionally disturbed and learning disabled children in New York, uses farm animals in the treatment program. Children learn horseback riding, animal husbandry, gardening, and farming on a working farm. The program seeks to involve the community and provide training to volunteers, interns, and learning…

A home intervention program for 18 learning disabled and educable mentally retarded elementary school children and their families included biweekly home visits during which parents were shown specific learning activities or games. Analysis of pre and post tests on the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for…

A college professor of English involved with the HELDS project, Higher Education for Learning Disabled Students, describes his own reluctance in accommodating learning disabled students in his classroom. He mentions his discovery that some students have difficulty in dealing with conventional print in textbooks, and that typographic changes and…

A faculty member involved with the HELDS (Higher Education for Learning Disabled Students) project describes ways in which Psychology of Adjustment courses can be modified to accommodate LD students. He describes the goals and general approach (structured informality) of his class, which features group evening meetings and written assignments in…

A history professor describes his involvement with project HELDS (Higher Education for Learning Disabled Students) and discusses ways in which he accommodates LD students in his classes. Among the general techniques advocated are taping, use of analogies to help the students understand concepts, and emphasis on context of events within time…