Considers dyslexia a major cause of failure among academically low-skilled, open-admissions college students. Argues that the legal definition excluding extrinsic causes of dyslexia is inaccurate, misleading, discriminatory, and the major reason for the scarcity of college programs for dyslexic adults. Suggests instructional/curricular strategies…

Naturalistic observations of special education classrooms in a high school, together with teacher ratings of social acceptance, revealed four status positions within a learning handicapped group. Conformity to school expectations was inversely related to social standing, while behavioral dominance was directly related. Discusses individual and…

The paper examines the issue of disproportionate representation of limited-English proficient (LEP) Hispanic students in classes for the learning disabled. Inadequate assessment, evaluation, placement, and re-evaluation of LEP students are noted. Sixteen policy considerations are identified to help school districts ensure that LEP learning…

The article reviews studies on vocational adjustment of the learning disabled as well as current practices and concludes that secondary programs should provide six types of vocationally relevant activities including: occupational awareness/exploration, vocational assessment, instruction in job-related academic skills, instruction in job-related…

Discusses Direct Instruction (DI), its rationale, principles of curricular design, and presentation techniques. Presents research on the effectiveness of DI with disadvantaged and handicapped learners. Also offers criticisms of DI. (RAE)

The effects of social support and school placement on 51 learning-disabled elementary and secondary students were assessed. Students with higher levels of perceived social support scored higher in general self-worth, athletic competence, scholastic competence, and behavioral conduct than students with fewer social supports. School placement was…

In response to an earlier article on foreign language learning disabilities in college students, the article reports on a similar study using the Modern Language Aptitude Test and concludes that, as yet, tests are not adequate to determine a disability affecting foreign language learning. (DB)

A teacher describes her experiences using "mathematics across the curriculum" problem solving activities with 12- and 13-year-old students with moderate to severe learning difficulties. She concludes that the experience of real problem solving is an approach that has great potential for use with special need students. (PK)

Many children with learning handicaps have difficulty learning to write numerals. The source of numeral-writing difficulties and some things which can be done to teach or remedy this skill are presented. (MNS)

Programs for learning-disabled students generally emphasize basic skills acquisition, are highly individualized, use diagnostic-prescriptive methods, and are based on mastery learning principles. A more holistic approach is advocated and would include the content areas, systematic group interaction and instruction, experiential learning…

A list is presented of 70 typical academic problems of learning-disabled children that special educators must be able to diagnose and remedy. The problems are categorized as follows: reading, language, spelling, handwriting, arithmetic, thinking, and school task and behavior problems. (JDD)

Interpersonal relationships should be an important part of learning-disabled students' curricula and should focus on appropriate classroom behavior, the impact of poor language skills on socialization, resistance to change, establishing degrees of value and priorities, cause-effect relationships in human interaction, planning/organizational…

This article outlines learning patterns which can identify the gifted learning-disabled and discusses the importance of early diagnosis, the importance of the student's participation in programs for the learning-disabled as well as for the gifted, and recommendations for helping the student succeed. (JDD)

The school survival skills of 36 learning disabled (LD) high school students were compared with those of nonhandicapped and emotionally disturbed students. Although LD students tended to be ill prepared, inattentive, and not to volunteer comments or questions, their performance was not significantly different from that of the normal control group.…

The article reviews findings regarding the use of severe discrepancy formulas in the identification of learning disabilities by the Work Group on Measurement Issues in the Assessment of Learning Disabilities. Associated problems such as overreliance on test scores and the exclusion of the teacher in educational decision making are discussed.…