The unique adaptive behavior characteristics of five subtypes of students identified as learning disabled (LD) are described: (1) non-LD (though classified as such); (2) production deficits; (3) verbal organization disorders; (4) nonverbal organization disorders; (5) global functional disorders. Implications for assessment, programming, and…

A teacher, speech-language pathologist, school principal, and audiologist rated 27 hearing-impaired elementary students on effective use of language, speech, and sign language and on presence of a learning disability and/or behavior problem. Ratings were compared with each other and with test scores purporting to identify learning disabilities or…

When parents of learning-disabled nine- to eleven-year-olds (N=12) used a teacher-made game for a home program designed to provide additional practice on reading vocabulary lists, a clear and positive relationship was found between the number of minutes spent playing the game and the number of words learned. (CB)

An analysis of the performance of 3,355 high school learning-disabled students on the State Student Assessment Test (part of Florida's minimum competency testing program) revealed that large numbers performed poorly on basic skills assessments. Less than half demonstrated mastery on 16 of 34 communication skills tested. (JW)

The article cites high costs associated with assessment and staffing of children classified as learning disabled. It is suggested that overreferral of hard-to-teach children perpetuates teaching deficiencies. Professional entrenchment is discussed, and placing a cap on the percentage of mild handicaps funded by state and federal governments is…

This study examined the academic outcomes associated with behavioral subtypes and their stability in learning disabled children. Children with attention problems and problem behavior in the first and second grades showed poorer achievement in later grades, compared with those who did not present atypical behavior. (Author/JAZ)

Social skills across three subgroups of midly handicapped children were compared to a matched sample of nonhandicapped students using a teacher rating scale. Function analysis revealed that 75 percent of the subjects could be correctly classified on the basis of teacher-rated social skills. (Author/JAZ)

The Windward Rating Scale (WRS), a locally-developed teacher rating scale of student behavior, was evaluated for potential use as a screening measure. Pre-certification ratings of 720 learning disabled students and non-special education students in grades K-6 were analyzed. Psychometric properties and diagnostic efficiency of the WRS were…

Effective intervention strategies for learning disabled students should recognize such cognitive deficiencies as weaknesses in attention, memory deficits, and problems in generalizing and abstracting information. Approaches which emphasize enhanced learning processes include: self-monitoring; repetition and deliberate instruction in control…

To identify broad classes of items on the Scholastic Aptitude Test that behave differentally for handicapped examinees taking special, extended time administrations, the performance of nine handicapped groups and one nonhandicapped group on each of two forms of the SAT was investigated through a two-stage procedure. (Author/LMO)

The emerging population of learning disabled college students is presenting a new challenge to college professionals: admission officers, counselors, financial aid personnel, academic advisors, and professors. Learning disablities interfere with the ability to perceive, process, sort, store, or retrieve information regardless of level of…

Teachers and teachers' aides in large midwestern school district who teach learning disabled and mentally and emotionally disabled students were surveyed to determine their attitudes toward using computers and feelings about computers and educational computing. Results indicate prior computing experience affects attitudes and facilitates…

The goal of this policy analysis is to set fair standards for awarding units of credit to disabled high school students. Criteria used for selection include: (1) equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment; (2) education under the 1973 Vocational Rehabilition Act, Section 504; (3) feasibility; (4) flexibility; and (5) integrity of the high…

Examined the concurrent validity of the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised (PPVT-R) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) in a sample of 101 students aged 6 to 16, referred for learning, mental or emotional disabilities. Results showed significant correlations between the PPVT-R and the WISC-R overall sample. (JAC)

Suggestions are offered for motivating ninth grade low readers with a combination of bookmaking and tutoring, for motivating college basic reading skills students with four learning strategies, and for using writing as a means of communication for learning disabled students. (HOD)