Aspects of the current state of education for learning disabilities (LD) discussed include the theoretical and philosophical orientation, definitions of specific learning disabilities, especially for preschool children, delivery of services, and the role of the LD specialist. (MSE)

Key concepts of the book include the lack of evidence supporting the neurological explanation for "learning disabilities," basic flaws in research based on this theory, and an alternative "interactivity" theory which posits that systemic economic, social, and cultural conditions are the principal influences contributing to learning failure. (DB)

A study used systematic classroom observation to describe pupil behavior and pupil-teacher and pupil-peer interaction in four classrooms in schools for children with moderate learning disabilities. Results are compared with a previous study of mainstream elementary classrooms. (MSE)

An analysis of parent contact logs on 161 learning disabled and behavior disordered elementary students indicated that the most widely used or requested services were for program information and informal feedback. Teacher expectations regarding need for advocacy group membership and parent-advisory-group participation exceeded parental…

Addresses the need for a bilingual special education program in Canada. Outlines 10 principles of language acquisition supporting the view that language minority children with special needs require special consideration. Proposes a language assessment and development center, and describes its goals, activities, and first clients. (SV)

Students with learning difficulties can develop their literacy for daily living by using daily-living literature, which provides knowledge and skills for accomplishing some societal task. Daily-living materials approximate real-life materials and differ from general literacy materials in organization, style, and format. Suggestions are provided…

A semantic mapping heuristic is presented which provides an instructional strategy for teaching notetaking, recognizing main ideas and pertinent details, and sorting and organizing them into a report. The strategy enables learning-disabled students to read independently about a topic and subsequently write a report, thus establishing a…

Seventh- and eighth-grade students with learning disabilities (n=29) who reasoned through factual prose sentences did not recall more information than students who were prompted to try to remember the content after each sentence. However, students trained in thinking skills produced more correct explanations of the information than control…

This discussion of fostering recall and developing reasoning processes in students with mild disabilities considers the role of mnemonic strategies, similarities between mnemonic strategies and elaborative interrogation to facilitate information retrieval, constructivism and elaborative interrogation, and such problems as generalization and…

The recent development and adoption by the Council for Learning Disabilities of principles of ethical practice are recounted. The 5 major principles are presented, supported by 27 examples of appropriate actions. Principles address respect for the rights of individuals, effective educational practice, professional integrity, collaborative working…

Junior high school students (n=72) with learning disabilities received direct instruction in cognitive strategies, instruction in metacognitive activities, or both. Students improved in mathematical word problem performance and compared well with normally achieving peers. Discussion focuses on the treatment effects and maintenance and the issue of…

The adult adjustment of 101 dropouts with learning disabilities (LD), whose graduating class had been out of school for 1 year, was investigated in terms of employment rate, occupational status, hours worked, wages, and benefits; vocational training, postsecondary education, and usefulness of high school; instructional model used; gender; and…

This article summarizes a framework for identifying skills relevant to self-determination for individuals with disabilities and describes the use of the Life Centered Career Education secondary curriculum to promote self-determination. This curriculum consists of almost 350 lesson plans organized into domains, competencies and subcompetencies, and…

Factors which may affect school performance in children with asthma, including absenteeism, learning disabilities, psychological functioning, and medications, are reviewed. Recommendations are made to assist teachers in creating a classroom environment which promotes optimal academic and social development of students with asthma. (Author/DB)

This article sees the inclusion movement as leading to the rapid erosion of placement options for students with disabilities and notes that no single classroom can be appropriately, habilitatively restrictive for all children. It suggests that advocates of full inclusion deny realities, rights, and responsibilities involved in constructing the…