As part of the activities at the Research Institute in Education of Learning Disabled Children, work was carried out with a group of about 30 children (grades 4 through 6) disabled in the comprehension of written language. Most of these children, when reading, went beyond using prior knowledge to provide schemata and interpretations; they…

The author reviews literature on fluency of decoding, sentence awareness or comprehension, and comprehension of larger than sentence texts, in relation to reading comprehension problems in learning disabled children. Initial sections look at the relation of decoding and fluency skills to skilled reading and differences between good and poor…

A national sample of 127 elementary and secondary teachers of learning disabled (LD) students completed surveys on the characteristics of LD students and the instructional procedures that work with them. Responses revealed extreme variability in the teachers' beliefs about LD students and effective instructional approaches. Further, few…

The study investigated differences in language development between two groups of learning disabled (LD) high school students, 40 LD students in secondary regular classes, and 40 LD students integrated into regular secondary classes and receiving additional support through learning resource centers. The Test of Adolescent Language (TOAL) was used…

Issues from the field of learning disabilities and the field of education in general which impact the learning disabled (LD) are discussed as they relate to research with LD adolescents and young adults. Based on the knowledge of the context in which the LD adolescent is required to function, a process research model that allows a commitment to…

To investigate task performance and the use of private speech and to examine the effects of a cognitive training approach, 30 learning disabled (LD) and 30 nonLD Ss (7 to 8 years old) were given a 17 piece wooden puzzle rigged so that it could not be completed correctly. Six variables were measured: (1) proportion of private speech that was task…

A survey of presidents of 21 local chapters of the California Association of Neurologically Handicapped Children--Association for Children with Learning Disabilities was conducted to investigate improvements in attitudes during the International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP), the positive changes brought about by IYDP community activities, and…

Learning disabilities (LD) in adults, which can include problems in visual perception, auditory perception, intersensory development, motor skills, or directional abilities produce such academic problems as difficulty in thinking in an orderly and logical way and in dealing with time concepts. Accommodations for LD college students may include…

The author discusses the importance of questioning techniques in the instruction of learning disabled students. Factors affecting students' responses to questions are the strengths and weaknesses of the learner and the type and difficulty of the question asked. A systematic method of providing or following up on students answers, termed…

The author presents a "working model" approach to use with parents in explaining the nature of their reading/learning disabled child's problem, with particular emphasis on medication intervention. Ten misconceptions regarding attentional deficit disorder (ADD) are addressed: (1) a neurological examination and a brain wave test are essential in…

The report covers a series of investigations on the effects of biofeedback/muscle relaxation training on the academic achievement of learning disabled (LD) students. In the first study, 32 LD elementary school students made gains in all measures except arithmetic following electromyograph biofeedback/relaxation treatment. Implementation of the…

Described is a sex education program for preschool children with emotional and learning problems in a therapeutic center. It is explained that the "Baby Week" method combines experimental and didactic learninq sequences geared to the developmental needs of this age group. The setting, planning, and organization of the program are discussed, and…

The second of two transcripts from a radio series on learning disabilities (LD) presents interviews with educators, and LD adult, and physicians on such topics as problems of identifying LD students, stigmatizing labels, new tags for LD students, the need for additional teacher training, the relationship between LD and juvenile delinquency,…

The effect of television on the performance of 20 learning disabled children (6-10 years old) was investigated. Television was employed as a means of presenting a formal diagnostic measure (the Visual Sequential Memory Subtest of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities). The subtest was administered via videotape by a fictional character…

The authors present an approach to the assessment of learning disabilities based on a definition of significant enabling skills for school learning. Students' competence in information processing, language, and mathematics is assessed in 11 tests. By using the Assessment of Basic Competencies test, it is possible to determine a child's location in…