Whilst solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) has become a widely used form of psychotherapy in the UK, there is little published writing on its use in services for people with learning disabilities. This article briefly discusses SFBT's potential uses with this client group, and provides by way of illustration a case example of its application…

Deliberate self-harm represents a significant, yet it can be argued, a poorly theorized area of concern with respect to women who have learning disabilities particularly in the context of secure service provision. Utilizing ideas from social constructionism we explore how some ways of understanding dominate the professional literature and,…

The present study evaluates the effect of a bereavement group for six people with learning disabilities. There was a significant increase in knowledge of the more concrete aspects of death and dying and in participants awareness of emotional, behavioural and physiological responses associated with grief, as measured by the Knowledge About Death…

This study entailed the implementation and evaluation of a Web-based technology designed to support the writing performance of fourth- and fifth-grade students with learning disabilities (LD). The technology, Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments on the Web (TELE-Web), was implemented in a resource room setting involving 12 students with LD in…

In response to Crockett's analysis of the relation of science and the instruction of students with learning disabilities, we discuss reasons why teaching in special education is infrequently affected by science and research, and we propose a model of naturalistic decision making and make recommendations for bridging the gap between research and…

School-level administrative support has been identified as an essential component of programs that promote research to practice. In this discussion, I address the critical role that school leaders play in supporting special educators and ensuring effective instruction for students with learning disabilities. Emphasis is placed on the need for…

The final session of the National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD) Responsiveness-to-Intervention (RTI) Symposium, "What are alternative models to LD identification other than RTI?" included four papers that discussed concerns over the exclusive reliance on an RTI approach to learning disability identification, considerations for…

Objectives: Active support was implemented in three community houses (active support houses), with 11 service users with severe learning disabilities. Methods: This was evaluated with reference to changes in levels of engagement, challenging behaviour (major and minor) and staff contact, measured against three comparison services (non-active…

The purpose of this case study is to highlight the integral role that progress monitoring (PM) plays throughout any response to intervention (RTI) process. This example uses a three-level, responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) method for identifying students with learning difficulties. Using a fictional third-grade classroom as the setting for…

This investigation examined faculty attitudes, beliefs, and practices with regard to students with learning disabilities (LD). An instrument was designed to measure attitudes and administered to all faculty in a large urban, private university. Responses from 192 faculty members were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis; results indicated…

The role of technology in education is ever increasing. This article looks at students with disabilities and the problem of writing independently. Speech recognition technology offers an option, or solution, for students who have physical and/or learning disabilities and for students who cannot access and use computer keyboards or switches.…

Recognizing the contributions of self-determination to improved outcomes for transition-age youth with disabilities, researchers are increasingly directing their efforts toward identifying factors associated with (a) these students' acquisition of skills that enhance self-determination and (b) educators' efforts to promote opportunities to be…

Background: Inner speech has been linked to higher-order cognitive processes including "theory of mind", self-awareness and executive functioning, all of which are impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Individuals with ASD, themselves, report a propensity for visual rather than verbal modes of thinking. This study explored the extent to…

This paper explores the ethical issues involved when researchers attempt to study participants who are personally close to them. It describes a case in which two researchers decided to study the experiences respectively of their son and grandson, both with ADD. They had barely initiated the study when ethical concerns led them to abandon the…

According to the National Center for Learning Disabilities (2005), students with disabilities often must demonstrate failure in order to qualify for academic accommodations. For students with disabilities, this failure may be life-altering. The present article argues that alternative curricula (modified teaching and assessment plans) should be…