This qualitative multicase study explored the perceptions of three special education teachers of students with learning disabilities who had themselves received special education services for learning disabilities. Specifically, the study focused on how participants' past experiences with receiving special education influenced their current…

The assessment profiles of 30 school-age children identified with either nonverbal or language-based learning disabilities were examined using a self-organizing systems paradigm. Results suggest that overflow into areas not typically associated with each disability subtype may occur. Concerns regarding ways of determining discrepancy for…

A study examined understanding of number line concepts by 4th grade culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students (n=30), students with learning disabilities (n=23), and 21 controls. CLD students with disabilities demonstrated difficulty due to several factors beyond lack of language competence, including failure to apply number lines to…

A study evaluated the effectiveness of a collaborative model for making grading adaptations. Parents, students, general educators, and special educators collaborated to develop and implement personalized grading plans for four middle school students. All participants perceived the process to be more fair and effective than adaptations used…

This study evaluated 150 elementary students previously referred to school study teams for possible learning disability (LD) as defined by a discrepancy between IQ and performance on a standardized achievement test. Comparison with actual school-based decisions found fewer than half of students certified as LD by local schools evidenced the…

This commentary on C. Addison's Stone's paper on the scaffolding metaphor for the learning disabilities field suggests: (1) repositioning the metaphor in its theoretical frame; (2) considering the ways in which contexts and activities, as well as individuals, scaffold learning; and (3) examining the relationship between scaffolding and effective…

Notes trends in definitions and theories on learning disabilities as recorded in articles in Canadian journals from 1989-2000. Examines current definitions of learning disabled (LD) used by ministries of education and compares them with proposed changes in current research. Discusses the shift in LD identification practices away from IQ cutoffs…

The project DEVISE case study shows how diversity modeling can be used as a powerful design tool. Designers used performance-centered design techniques to create a virtual learning environment in which students with learning disabilities would be more fully supported with an interface that meets their needs. (AEF)

Questions the rising incidence of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) diagnosis in the United States. Suggests that AD/HD is a socially constructed phenomenon rather than biologically based. Urges educators, medical personnel, and parents to take a holistic view of each child, with a serious examination of the wide range of causation…

Describes how various European countries are providing school choice for students with learning disabilities, focusing on the experiences of the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark, each of which has adopted school choice as part of its national educational policy, with very different provisions in the area of special education. The paper also…

This article reviews 15 research studies published from 1990 to 2000 examining effects of cooperative learning strategies on the academic achievement of students with learning disabilities. Despite design problems, the review finds that cooperative learning strategies that incorporate individual accountability and group rewards are likely to…

A study examined emotional resiliency, stress level, locus of control, and achievement need in 17 college students with learning disabilities (LD) and 17 controls. Students with LD had higher resiliency scores and achievement need scores and reported fewer college stressors. No differences were found on the locus of control measure. (Contains…

In this article, ten reasons are identified as to why discrepancy scores (based on differences between IQ and reading achievement scores) provide an inadequate means for identifying children with reading disabilities. It is recommended instead that children be identified simply on the basis of problems in reading skills, regardless of their IQs.…

A study involving 129 secondary general education math and special education teachers found a majority of special education teachers had not heard of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. Teachers identified lack of adequate materials as a considerable barrier to implementation of activities based on the Standards.…

This article discusses major conceptual and methodological issues that have arisen in intervention research, with a focus on interventions for learning problems, particularly reading problems. Research examples are presented to illustrate how conceptual and methodological factors in intervention research can be taken into consideration in the…