Programing for learning disabled students with comprehension problems is discussed with an emphasis on the interaction of physical, psychological, and social elements in the children's lives. Attention is also directed to instructional materials, the child's home life, and the needs of parents. (SEW)

Several decades of scientific inquiry on the effect of malnutrition on brain function in early life are summarized, and the findings are related to more current trends in child eating patterns and the use of special dietary regimes for children with learning disabilities. (SW)

A three-step simulation was developed to reflect procedures followed by educational personnel (n=223) when a child is referred by the classroom teacher: (1) receipt of the referral statement, (2) assessment of the student, and (3) decision making about the student's eligibility and classification. (Author/PN)

Three conditions of behavioral disturbances and impaired school performance (learning disability, attentional disorder, and childhood major depression) are suggested as being associated with dysfunction of the right cerebral hemisphere. (Author/PN)

Using children with learning disabilities and children enrolled in regular classrooms, test scores on the Bender-Gestalt and the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration indicated high and significant correlations for the learning-disabled group and low but significant correlations for regular students. A nine-month mean difference in scores…

A survey of 579 special education professionals investigated the perceived roles of the professionals who use tests and the functions that various tests serve. The issue of turf guarding in assessment responsibilities among professionals working with the learning disabled was considered. (SW)

Evaluated the effects of the kinesthetic-tactile component in visual auditory kinesthetic tactile (VAKT) instruction. Three learning disabled secondary students read more words correctly after VAKT instruction than after visual-auditory instruction and retained them longer. The instruction did not differentially affect the spelling of words.…

Compared the assessments of 18 judges asked to use an array of information to differentiate learning disabled students. Found judges extremely inaccurate and in little agreement with each other. Different judges emphasized different factors. Results cast doubt on the ability of school personnel to identify learning disabilities accurately.…

Intended for teachers of secondary level learning disabled students, the paper offers guidelines for five areas of language instruction--vocabulary, listening comprehension, conversational skills, abstract language usage, and ability to adjust language to different social situations. (SW)

Critiqued Zarske, Moore and Petersen's article examining the factor structure of the WISC-R as a measure of general intelligence for learning disabled children. Suggests this conclusion doesn't follow from the factor analytic data. Presents the response of Zarske, Moore and Petersen. (Author/RC)

Compared learning disabled (LD) and normally achieving (NA) grade three children. Results showed general demographic factors did not differentiate but significantly more LD than NA children came from homes with parental separation. LD mothers had significantly lower perceptions of their children's academic abilities and lower expectations. (Author)

Two separate articles provide an overview of the economic standing of the learning disability profession throughout the United States through a survey of state directors of special education and a report on a survey of readers concerning job characteristics and availability. (DB)

A reading practices survey of 138 Arizona secondary learning disabled teachers was conducted. Among results were that 65 percent of special educators indicated access to reading specialist/instructed programs; the Individualized Reading Approach was the method used most; and the special educator was the professional mainly responsible for reading…

Analyzes psychoeducational evaluations of 180 students from a rural area and concludes that diagnosis was significantly related to the race of the student, with more White students being diagnosed as learning disabled and more Black students being labeled mentally retarded. (FL)

Four questions concerning the admission and enrollment of learning disabled (LD) students relate to: the definition of a learning disability; admissions officers' and/or committees' identification of LD applicants; special considerations, if any, to be used by admissions for LD applications; and special services needed by admitted and…