Factor analysis performed on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) for 252 subjects (ages 6-16), who were mentally handicapped, slow learners, or learning disabled, identified 3 factors: verbal-conceptual, perceptual-spatial, and distractibility-short-term memory. Findings suggest that the factor example can be used to…

This study of infants with low birthweight and significant or mild intraventricular hemorrhage showed that the association of mothers' interactive behaviors with infants' exploratory play responses was dependent on both the age and medical risk status of the child. The timing of mothers' attention-directing strategies and the level of structure…

A study examined the effects of differing degrees of bilingualism (English monolingual, English-French balanced bilingual, Bengali-English partial bilingual) on nonverbal problem-solving abilities of 71 grade-three children. The groups were compared on control of attention and analysis of knowledge. Results indicate the balanced bilinguals…

Debate continues over the hypothesis that children with language or literacy difficulties have a genuine auditory processing deficit. Several recent studies have reported deficits in frequency discrimination (FD), but it is unclear whether these are genuine perceptual impairments or reflective of the comorbid attentional problems that exist in…

This book reviews issues concerning attention deficit disorders (ADDs) in the context of a systems perspective. ADDs are viewed as resulting from dynamic interactions of behavior, cognition, and affect, out of which emerge distinct and idiosyncratic ways of coping. Chapter 1 looks at the interaction of attention and behavior. In chapter 2, the…

The importance of appropriate task relevant behaviors as a necessary condition for school learning has long been noted. This paper suggests a multiple measure of one set of student classroom behaviors, presents a brief theoretical basis for the measure, provides some empirical support for the use of the measure, and indicates some educational…

Specific criteria for the rating of each questionnaire item are explained in detail. The teacher is asked, after reading the questions carefully, to assign each first grade student a rating for every question. This rating should be based on a personal knowledge of the student. The booklet is divided into three sections w1th section 1 focusing on…

Sensory integrative therapy as a treatment for self-injurious behavior (SIB) was contrasted with an attention control condition involving a 15-year-old multiply handicapped boy. Lower rates of SIB during but not following treatment sessions were effected. Effects of such therapies are concluded to be highly variable across individuals. (Author/JDD)

Experimenter presence (representing external control) or absence during task presentation were the two conditions under which attentional performance of 16 hyperactive and 16 control subjects (ages 7-12) was assessed. Results suggested noncompliance (an application deficit rather than an ability deficit) as a major contributor to poor performance…

This book presents the "active learner" instructional approach to working with secondary school students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This approach combines the diagnostic prescriptive approach with principles of individualization, direct instruction, strategy instruction, and integration of…

How children's achievement attributions were influenced by age, attentional focus, and success/failure was studied in 151 students in grades two, three, five, and six. For older children, self-focus enhanced internal attributions for success, while task-focusing did so for younger children, who were more likely to attribute success/failure to…

Three highly distractible female students, aged 9 through 11, with mild to moderate mental handicaps completed a 5-step training process followed by student self-monitoring with no tangible extrinsic reinforcement for improved performance. Results found increased on-task behavior in all subjects and increased academic productivity in two.…

This study measured the effectiveness of a 9 a.m. nutrition break after it had been implemented for 1 academic year at an inner-city high school. Effectiveness was measured by student participation rates, student and teacher evaluations of hunger-associated symptoms experienced by students, and teacher evaluations of the effects on the learning…

This guide addresses issues concerned with the reintegration of students with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) into the classroom. It first provides a definition of TBI and identifies characteristics of students with TBI. The guide then discusses cognitive consequences of TBI, with emphasis on deficits of executive function, attention, and memory.…

The potential reliability and construct and predictive validity of a 30-item Study Skills Questionnaire (SSQUES) was evaluated for its ability to: (1) predict student performance in a self-paced, individualized, or computer-managed instructional environment, and (2) identify students needing some type of study skills remediation. The study was…