With 4 to 6 percent of all students in the nation's public schools classified as having specific learning disabilities, according to the Learning Disabilities Association of America (LDA), most teachers can expect to have students who are learning disabled in their classrooms. This presents a challenge to teachers and administrators alike, who are…

Many people with learning disabilities are not well supported when someone close to them dies. This can make it an even more difficult time than it needs to be. This is about how staff can help people with learning disabilities when somebody close to them dies. It has some questions for them to think about. It is well documented that the death of…

This paper examines the concept of "empathetic validity," that is, the potential of practitioner research in its processes and outcomes to transform the emotional dispositions of people towards each other, such that greater empathy and regard are created. The paper argues that practitioner research that is high in empathetic validity…

Testing accommodations have become a common component of services for students with disabilities at all levels of education. This study examined the effect of a common testing accommodation--extended time--on the reading comprehension test performance of high school students. Sixty-four students, half of whom had learning disabilities (LDs) in the…

The aim of this paper is to reflect on research collaboration between a research participant with learning disability and a nondisabled doctoral student. In the paper we explore the inclusiveness of our research partnership and how collaborative life histories can be empowering both for participants and researchers. We suggest that it is possible…

Major developments in the use of the internet have enabled easy and widespread access to information and the ability to form virtual social networks. For parents of children with developmental disorders, who may at times feel isolated, having a forum to discuss their fears and concerns with other parents who are sharing similar experiences may…

Currently, schools are under pressure to reform their curriculum and instructional practices so that all students can perform successfully on high-stakes test. One essential requisite skill for success on all of these assessments is reading. Because the classroom is typically made up of students who exhibit a broad range of performance levels, it…

This study identifies adult education program characteristics associated with learning disability (LD) prevalence through statistical analyses of data from a single U.S. state (Kansas). Data indicate that several variables at the adult education (AE) program level are linked to LD prevalence, including disability incidence, educational background…

The purpose of this dissertation project was to examine the extent to which the special education context, riddled with labeling and teasing, affected the motivation, academic self-concept, grades, and academic achievement of African American adolescents with learning-related disabilities. This dissertation research is situated within two…

Students with learning disabilities are increasingly included in state accountability systems. The purpose of this study was to investigate disability-based differential item functioning (DIF) on a statewide high-stakes mathematics test administered in the Spring of 2003 to all students seeking a high-school diploma in one state in the eastern…

In the last three decades, special-education programs in the United States have grown at a tremendous pace. Much of this growth reflects a growing incidence of students diagnosed with the mildest form of learning disability, called a Specific Learning Disability (SLD), and thus the hardest to distinguish from an ordinary cognitive deficit. Between…

The purpose of this study was to use meta-analysis to synthesize findings from randomized control trials and quasi-experimental research on instructional approaches that enhance the mathematics proficiency of students with learning disabilities. A search of the literature from January 1971 to August 2007 resulted in a total of 42 interventions (41…

Recent research has suggested that the professional development general educators receive is not adequately preparing them to properly implement inclusion-based practices. In this study, data from the Study of Personnel Needs in Special Education was used to investigate the relationship among teachers' years of experience teaching students with…

Comorbidity of learning disabilities is a very common phenomenon which is intensively studied in genetics, neuropsychology, prevalence studies and causal deficit research. In studies on the behavioral manifestation of learning disabilities, however, comorbidity is often neglected. In the present study, we systematically examined the reading…

The purpose of this study is to provide an up-to-date review of the literature on postsecondary students classified as having learning disabilities (LD). The review focused on the criteria by which students were classified as LD and the cognitive and achievement characteristics of the participants. From almost 400 studies, only 30% were empirical…