The task of defining learning disabilities is complex since there are so many variables operating to cause the failure. Learning disabled (LD) children comprise between 2 percent and 20 percent of the Canadian school population. Severely LD children account for only about 1 percent to 2 percent of the school population. (PHR)

A study involving 190 learning disabled (LD) children (ages 7 to 13 years) and 38 of their teachers was conducted (1) to demonstrate that product and process teaching are complementary strategies, (2) to illustrate a framework that assists teachers in determining if the process components of a task are related to pupil failure, and (3) to validate…

The authors highlight an inservice approach to mainstreaming elementary and secondary level handicapped students in physical education. Outlined are strategies for individual intervention, for group intervention, for auditory impairments, for visual impairments, for learning disabilities, and for orthopedic impairments. (SBH)

Children referred to the Learning Disorders Unit of the Yale-New Haven Hospital were evaluated for indications of prenatal exposure to ethanol. Our results suggest a continuum of teratogenic effects of ethanol on the central nervous system. Journal availability The C. V. Mosby Co., 11830 Westline Industrial Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141. (Author)

Prior to attendance at the residential school, students were making an average of approximately .56 grade equivalent gains on academic achievement tests for every year spent in school. During the period under study, children achieved an average of approximately 1.19 yearly grade level increase. (SBH)

Responses from 82 learning disabilities/behavior disorders (LD/BD) teachers were studied to investigate their understanding of the use of drug therapy with LD/BD students. (PHR)

Presents a preliminary readability study of 20 popular comic strips as evidence that many comics do provide easy reading material for reluctant disabled readers. (FL)

The career maturity of a private school group of adolescents with learning disabilities was assessed. Significant differences emerged in the affective dimensions but not in the cognitive variables. (Author)

A group procedure for the management of classroom behavior is described which has been used successfully with emotionally disturbed, educable mentally handicapped, and learning disabled students. The strategy allows for group goal setting and peer feedback on individual behavior and improves socioemotional development. (PHR)

Young children (153 normal preschool and primary graders, 19 cerebral palsied 5 to 15 year olds, and 16 learning disabled 7 to 12 year olds) were given a test of immediate visual memory which required selection of a geometric design from among six alternatives, including a mirror image and a rotation. (CL)

The investigation explored the possibility of predicting self-concept among 147 learning-disabled children (ages 7 to 13) on the bases of several combinations of predictor variables. The combinations of word knowledge performance, math performance, and family socioeconomic status (SES) significantly predicted self-concept. (Author/PHR)

Two methodological problems often arising in dyslexia research are considered. The first problem concerns the validity of experimental measures and the related problem of interpreting null results. The second problem involves the effects of sampling from a disabled population if the disorder under investigation has multiple unknown origins.…

Focus is on a conceptualization of initial assessment and consultation, the problem-solving paradigm as a framework for guiding this activity, and a description of procedures and initial data from a demonstration program. (Author/DLS)

To demonstrate how one might go beyond mechanical errors to describe, measure, and evaluate student writing as communication, several evaluation procedures were applied to a brief writing protocol submitted by an adolescent learning disabled student. (Author/DLS)

Results showed that the adolescents with internal locus of control performed significantly better in the low structure reinforcement condition, while the adolescents with external locus of control performed significantly better in the high structure reinforcement condition. (Author)