The article describes typical conceptual problems that limit adolescents and young adults with learning disabilities in their efforts to become financially responsible. In a case study format, five money management problems are presented and resolved, including organizing financial records, budgeting, reconciling bank statements, and dividing…

Gifted students may exhibit a deficit in ability to follow a sequence of verbal instructions, termed Cognition of SeMantic Systems (CMS). Three types of low-CMS students are described, and counseling strategies are outlined. Achievement of academic success and emotional health calls for teachers to build students' self-esteem and be patient. (JDD)

The article reviews recent theoretical and empirical research related to the role of communication in effective strategy training for instilling stable and general cognitive strategic skills in learning disabled students. Among implications discussed is the need for increased focus on the interactional dynamics of the strategy training situation…

Developmental language disorders in preschool children are described. Levels of linguistic functioning are defined, and clinical language disorders are presented. Implications for the school psychologist are discussed, with an emphasis on assessment of verbal and non-verbal functions. (SLD)

The paper summarizes learning disabilities research related to the possible maintenance or amplification of information-processing deficits by deviant styles of parental communication, and maintenance or amplification of attention deficits by an underorganized family structure. Findings are related to four etiological models: environmental,…

The accuracy of SEARCH for identifying children at risk for developing learning disabilities was evaluated with 1,107 kindergarten children. Children identified as at risk were of average intelligence. SEARCH scores were significantly correlated with sequential and simultaneous information processing skills. SEARCH predicted adequacy of…

The progress of 138 elementary students with specific learning disabilities was followed as they were instructed using the Alphabetic Phonics curriculum. After 3 years, the curriculum produced significant progress in reading comprehension for average and above average students, though below average students did not advance substantially in…

A suit filed by Steven E. Wynne, who has dyslexia, against the Tufts School of Medicine charged that the school discriminated against him when it refused to provide a test that did not use multiple-choice questions. Tufts filed an appeal saying the decision is an encroachment on academic freedom. (MLW)

In this review of the "Tenth Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Education of the Handicapped Act" (Public Law 94-142), data are cited concerning: current status of services, dropout rates from secondary special education, implementation of preschool special education services, and state variations in the…

The economic efficiency of alternative types of intervention was investigated with language-impaired preschool children. Forty children were assigned to one of four groups: home-based intervention, center-based intervention, both center- and home-based intervention, and no treatment. The home-based program was more economically efficient based on…

A study assessed the effects of assigned versus self-selected goals and contingent versus non-contingent gameplay conditions delivered during computer-assisted math computation drill-and-practice sessions. Subjects were 20 high-school students with learning disabilities. Self-selected goals were more effective; no differences existed between…

Nine British Further Education colleges serving individuals with severe learning difficulties were surveyed concerning design and content of language curricula, teaching methods, and assessment. The courses offered aimed to improve communication skills, students' independence, and social competence. Further work is recommended to link these aims…

Examined construct and discriminant validity of Classroom Adjustment Rating Scale with 169 normal, 125 learning disabled, and 48 emotionally handicapped elementary boys. Boys were rated by 69 teachers. Factor analysis identified three homogeneous scales: Acting-Out, Learning Problems, and Shy-Anxious. Discriminant analysis classified 77 percent of…

Presented is an introduction to laser videodisc technology, covering both hardware and courseware considerations and technological applications to special education. Described is the application of videodisc courseware to the teaching of fractions, and results of a successful program to teach fractions to eight mainstreamed students with learning…

The Reading Recovery Program offers individual reading lessons. Students are dismissed from the program when they reach a certain level of proficiency. A study of the errors made at entry reveals learning-disabled children rely on visual information and ignore supportive language, while other at-risk children utilize both. (VM)