This article explores differences in language development, experience, and use by various cultures. The paper contends that a lack of understanding of multiple views and the characteristics of various languages can result in both misdiagnosis and inappropriate instruction for many individuals labeled "learning disabled." (Author/JDD)

This article discusses complex ways in which reading, attentional, and affective disorders may be related: a primary problem in one area may result in problems in another; one disorder may look like another; or a child may simultaneously present two or all three primary disorders. Clinical practice and research are presented to aid differential…

The authors of EC 609 935, a paper comparing characteristics of children with high functioning autistic disorder (H-F AD) with those of children having mild disabilities, reflect on difficulties in accurately identifying and programming for H-F AD children. Educators are urged to evaluate such students in terms of learning style, behavioral…

In examining the disproportionate representation of minority groups in special education, this article recommends the inclusion of philosophical and ethical perspectives to broader theoretical paradigms and the open acknowledgement in research efforts that issues related to ethnicity, race, and language background are highly contentious in our…

A study involving 11,804 British children (age 10) found that when specified criteria for dyslexia were used, 269 children qualified as dyslexic. These included 223 boys and 46 girls, for a ratio of 4.51 to 1. Difficulties in interpreting these data are discussed and a defense of the criteria is provided. (Author/CR)

A study involving 48 undergraduates found a link between motion detection and letter-position encoding and a positive relationship, albeit a nonlinear one, between motion detection threshold and the likelihood of making letter errors. This result held when age, IQ, reading age, and phonological awareness were taken into account. (CR)

This study examined developmental characteristics of 82 deaf and hard-of-hearing children identified through the high-risk registry in Colorado either before or after 6 months of age. Children identified early and receiving intervention two to three months after identification had significantly higher levels of receptive and expressive language,…

A survey of 53 early-childhood special-education teachers in Korea found that children ages 3 to 7 were the group most frequently served, teachers reported infrequent assessment and scarcity of curriculum resources, most use a self- or school-developed curriculum, and confusion exists regarding the concept and use of the Individualized Education…

Examines the reasons and myths surrounding the Ebonics controversy, which concerns the use of the English dialect spoken by many African-American children in Oakland, California, schools as a strategy for teaching Standard American English. Implications for diagnosing and educating special-education students whose primary dialect is Ebonics are…

This study addressed the validity of using a five-state multifaceted approach to defining reading disabilities. Comparison of 204 reading-disabled (selected by criteria such as intraindividual differences and low achievement) and normally achieving junior high students on motivational, cognitive, and metacognitive variables (usually associated…

Proposes how good practice can be developed in the assessment of dyslexia with bilingual children, presents evidence that language minorities are underrepresented in special programs, and highlights the value of recent approaches to defining dyslexia that do not depend on exclusionary criteria or on IQ-achievement discrepancy. (Author/VWL)

Two position papers by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities (NJCLD) present (1) the core competencies needed by regular and special education teachers who work with children with learning disabilities, and (2) recommendations for operationalizing the five constructs underlying the NJCLD definition of learning disabilities for…

This study assessed the interrater reliability of a Swedish version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), an instrument for screening and diagnosis of autism. The CARS was used for rating autistic behavior by two investigators in 25 children. Results indicated fair to excellent agreement. Aspects of validity and reliability are discussed.…

This study examined informal phonological awareness measures as predictors of first-grade broad reading ability with 91 former Head Start students. Regression analyses indicted that three phonological awareness tasks (invented spelling, categorization, and blending) were the most predictive of standardized reading measures obtained at the end of…

A survey of speech and hearing difficulties exhibited by children in 73 government primary schools in Barbados was conducted. Approximately 5 percent of the children were found to have hearing difficulties and 24 percent to have speech difficulties, higher than that of some other countries. Recommendations are discussed. (Contains references.) (CR)