Vygotskian theory suggests that maturation and learning are not mutually exclusive; rather together they constitute development and are thus dependent on each other and interactive. The concept of the zone of proximal development involves determining two developmental levels of mental functions for each learner--the actual and the potential…

The Education of the Handicapped Act Amendment of 1986 extended the six basic rights established in the Education for All Handicapped Children Act to preschoolers. All preschool handicapped children (ages 3 to 5) will receive a free, appropriate public education in the same manner that the K-12 students benefit from federal law for the…

This presentation introduces the methods of negotiation and mediation in transdisciplinary decision-making, and applies the methods specifically to the educational needs and placements of students with disabilities. Four stages of mediation are described: problem identification, generation of problem-solving options, evaluation of options, and…

The study used a multiple case study method to investigate the quality of the educational and social experiences of elementary-level and secondary-level children with disabilities currently integrated within the Australian regular school system. This second stage of the study used for its sample 23 children with intellectual disabilities, 18 with…

Assessment is an essential process for Physical Education program planning. This is especially true for children with special needs, such as children with Down Syndrome. The ultimate aim of assessments is to enable an informed and intelligent progam of planned activites. For children with Down Syndrome, there are no clear data on their overall…

The report, developed by a special Iowa task force, examined issues of definition, criteria, and identification procedures for learning disabilities as a point of departure for the examination of current practices affecting learning disabled students in Iowa. The committee's working definintion of learning disabilities is presented as a basis for…

In 1979, humanities faculty at Reading Area Community College introduced the writing sample as the means of placing entering freshmen into appropriate writing classes. In response to expressed concern about the objectivity and validity of the writing sample approach, the humanities faculty engaged in a 6-year effort to adjust the writing sample…

University-level mathematics placement examinations might yield summary measures that are differentially accurate due to individual differences in the recall of previously-learned material. In particular, test scores in algebra and trigonometry may be subject to sporadic recall of solution procedures, resulting in aberrant response patterns. The…

The report documents the 1981-82 and 1982-83 cycles of School-Based Support Team (SBST) services administered by the New York City Public Schools Division of Special Education. SBSTs include school social workers, psychologists, and educational evaluators as core members and are intended to provide consultation and support to regular education…

This one-page abstract summarizes the final report of a federally funded project titled, "Post-School Status of Young Adults Identified as Learning Disabled While Enrolled in Public Schools: A Comparison of Those Enrolled and Not Enrolled in Learning Disabilities Programs." The follow-up study compared the status of 25 students diagnosed…

This edition of the newsletter of the National Information Center for Handicapped Children and Youth is intended to help special educators and human service professionals improve the availability of services to handicapped children from minority groups. The first part of the paper focuses on current trends including: (1) the increase in the number…

The classification problem in educational testing is a decision problem. One must assign subjects to one of several available treatments on the basis of test scores, where the success of each treatment is measured by a different criterion. Examples of classification decisions include individualized instruction, counseling, and clinical settings.…

The manual provides guidelines for persons in New York State serving as hearing officers to resolve disagreements regarding the identification, evaluation, and provision of special education services and programs for pupils with suspected educational handicaps. Part I presents an overview of federal and state laws and regulations governing the…

Eight placement systems currently used in selected California community colleges are described in this paper. Following introductory comments on the variety and complexity of placement systems used in community colleges, issues related to English placement examinations are highlighted. Next, the eight placement models are described, focusing, with…

Guidelines are provided for integrating the dependent handicapped student (DHS) into the regular school in Alberta, Canada. A short overview comprises the introduction. Identified are two types of integration: (1) incidental contact and (2) planned contact for social, recreational, and educational activities with other students. Noted are types of…