bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rethinking female circumcision
Authors: Parker Melissa
Published: April 2006

Female circumcision is practised in more than twenty African countries as well as in a number of countries in the Middle East, and it has been estimated that at least 100 million females have been circumcised worldwide. It is striking, however, that much more concern has been expressed about female circumcision than about other operations or infections which adversely affect the reproductive health of women. In the academic arena, it is also interesting that gynaecologists, epidemiologists and anthropologists have tended to focus on a relatively small number of questions, and even these have rarely been investigated in any depth. This article focuses on the work of researchers from Europe and North America in order to show that intense emotions underlie this interest and concern. Amidst growing interest in the anthropology of emotions it is suggested that greater attention should be paid to understanding the source of these emotions and the way in which they influence fieldwork and data analysis. Until it is, our understanding of female circumcision will remain partial, as data will continue to be collected and interpreted in an inadequate way.
Discourse and its disclosures: Yoruba women and the sanctity of abuse
Authors: Apter Andrew
Published: April 2006

If ritual songs of obscenity and abuse have become a familiar topic in Africanist ethnography since Evans-Pritchard's first discussion of their ‘canalising’ functions in 1929, few studies have paid sufficient attention to the socio-political and discursive contexts of the song texts themselves. The present article moves in that direction by relocating abusive songs of the Oroyeye festival in an Ekiti Yoruba town within the local forms of history and knowledge that motivate their interpretation and performative power. After reviewing the cult's historical interventions in local political affairs, the article examines the repressed historical memory of a displaced ruling dynasty and its associated line of civil chiefs as invoked by the song texts in two festival contexts. In the first—the Àjàkadì wrestling match—which occurs at night, male age mates from different ‘sides’ of the town fight to stand their ground and topple their opponents while young women praise the winners and abuse the losers with sexual obscenities. In the second festival context, during the day, the elder ‘grandmothers’ of Oroyeye target malefactors and scoundrels by highlighting their misdeeds against a discursive background of homage and praise. In this fashion the female custodians of a displaced ruling line bring repressed sexual and political sub-texts to bear on male power competition, lineage fission, and antisocial behaviour. More generally, they mobilise the fertility and witchcraft of all Yoruba women to disclose hidden crimes and speak out with impunity.
The local state in post-war Mozambique: political practice and ideas about authority
Authors: Alexander Jocelyn
Published: April 2006

The article explores the ways in which post-independence political practices in Mozambique's rural areas have shaped attitudes towards official authority, and considers the legacy of those attitudes for the recently promulgated Municipalities Law. The law will transfer a range of state functions to elected district institutions, and grant a greater role to ‘traditional authorities’ (chiefs). Mozambican officials and academics see the law—and decentralisation more widely—as a means of making the state more efficient and more responsive to local needs. However, drawing on case study material from Manica Province, the article argues that neither the Frelimo party-state, nor the opposition military movement Renamo, inculcated a political practice which prepared the way for democratic demands. Nor are chiefs likely to represent community interests effectively. In Manica's rural areas ‘local leaders’ such as businessmen, political party leaders, chiefs and church leaders strongly associate official authority with a level of wealth and education that they do not possess, and which consequently exclude them from holding such positions. They also see elections as potentially destabilising. While there is a strong popular desire for chiefs to resume various roles, officials (and chiefs themselves) usually see their future in terms of a late colonial model, i.e. as an extension of administrative authority. Academic literature on democratisation and civil society often posits an opposition between state and civil society, and democratic aspirations within civil society. However, local attitudes towards authority in Manica Province were strongly based in the history of political practice, and are not necessarily sympathetic to democratic ideals. Nor is there a clear opposition between what has often been called ‘civil society’ and the state: individuals moved in and out of association with official authority; leaders of ‘civil society’ often sought to become part of, not to oppose, the state.
‘Buying her grave’: money, movement and AIDS in north-west Tanzania
Authors: Weiss Brad
Published: April 2006

‘Buying her grave’ is a highly condensed statement about the position of women, and of gender relations more generally, at the crux of dynamic processes of socio-cultural continuity among the Haya of north-west Tanzania. This article suggests that the grave, an essential site of focalisation, is undone by purchase, the quintessential act of disruption, dislocation and uncontrolled mobility. Men believe that women are ‘buying their graves’ (contracting AIDS) when they think they are ‘getting rich’ (finding material wealth through prostitution). To ‘buy a grave’ when you think you are ‘getting rich’ is not merely an ironic commentary on the terrible consequence of death for those who seek only their own gain. It is also a statement about the ways in which sweeping transformations in Haya economic and bodily conditions render impossible the very forms of death that allow the living to realise and perpetuate their own well-being.
Small change: individual farm work and collective life in a western Nigerian savanna town, 1969–88
Authors: Guyer Jane I.
Published: April 2006

A comparison of data collected in western Nigeria (the Yoruba area) in 1968-69 and 1988 suggests that small-scale male farmers' patterns of work remained quite similar in the total amount of work they did and in the amount by task. This finding seemed surprising, since the study area lies in the food supply hinterland of the rapidly growing cities of Ibadan, Lagos and Abeokuta. The farming system has changed in several ways in response to increased urban demand and improved transport, including an increase in farm size on the part of male farmers. Changed cropping patterns, the increased use of hired labour and somewhat increased returns to labour seem only partly to account for the persistence. Analysis of the work data in terms of its timing, rather than in terms of time, suggests that farmers are tending to work at the same task in longer stretches ofconsecutive days, and this, in turn, is related to the marked rescheduling of traditional ceremonial life and the intensified politico-associational life moved to the weekend.
Cosmologies in turmoil: witchfinding and AIDS in Chiawa, Zambia
Authors: Yamba C. Bawa
Published: April 2006

Written from the perspective of HIV/AIDS prevention research in Zambia, the article argues that rural Africans now find themselves the target of three competing and contradictory discourses about responsibility, each of which claims to tell them how to lead safe lives free from AIDS. The first, represented by the biomedical paradigm, professes sure knowledge about the aetiology and epidemiology of HIV/AIDS but is unable to cure it; the second, the missionary discourse, preaches abstinence and encourages a revival of traditional beliefs and rules of morality as the only way to manage and survive AIDS; while the third is the traditional discourse—represented by traditional healers and witchfinders—which professes sure knowledge and the ability to eradicate evil. My argument is that the conjunction of these discourses results in a confusion that has led to the ascendancy of what is here termed traditional African discourse, characterised by a resurgence of witchcraft accusations and witchfinding activities; the conjuncture thus provides explanatory models through which rural Africans can make sense of their lives in situations where modern certainties appear to have failed. The traditional African discourse offers an explanation for increasing death rates—presumably from AIDS—and for other contingent disasters which are believed to be caused by witches. These points are brought home in an extended case study of the activities of a witchfinder invited by one rural community to help them ‘defuse’ local witches. The witchfinder not only managed to usurp legitimate authority but succeeded in killing sixteen local people through poison ordeals before national media coverage led to his arrest by the authorities. A further concern of the article is to highlight the importance of envybased notions of disease causality and how these notions relate to efforts at behavioural change in AIDS prevention work and to mechanisms that can lead to the breakdown of legitimate authority in rural Africa today.
Methods and Procedures: Research Perspectives in Dance
Authors: Rashid Martha , Andreasen Lois
Published: April 2006

The employment of the scientific process to gain additional insight into a particular problem beyond the ordinary inquiry of the problem is commonly referred to as research. In fact, the term research can be substituted for scientific process. In general, research differs from other scholarly activities in regard to the methods and procedures under which the problem is studied and analyzed. Research further aims to enlarge the fields of knowlege already in existence. The researcher identifies a problem or an issue within his/her field of interest and then systematically undertakes to answer specific questions or hypotheses concerning the problem.

The scientific problem under consideration by the researcher must be a significant, well-defined problem as well as one that the researcher is totally involved in answering. This is a most important aspect of the research process because the identification and the statement of the problem directs all of the later activities of the inquiry. The statement of the problem is a roadmap of the territory under consideration.

Once the statement of the problem has been identified in clear, percise terms the researcher moves into the second phase of the research process, namely the proposal of the hypothesis or hypotheses. An hypothesis is a guess that the researcher makes about the problem and it provides a basis for the research, therefore it is a vital aspect of the entire study regardless of the type of research being undertaken. A hypothesis is generally a statement of expected relationships among the variables. Whether the hypothesis is accepted or rejected should not be the prime objective of the researcher. Statistically significant results are not necessary to add knowledge to our existing knowledge; statistically insignificant results also add to our knowledge. The hypothesis may be viewed as an “if … then …” type of relationship. If certain conditions prevail, then certain other things will result.
Use of Self-Monitoring of Attention with LD Students: Research and Application
Authors: Snider Vicki
Published: April 2006

This paper examines the use of self-monitoring of attention with learning disabled (LD) students in academic settings. Three theoretical models of cognitive behavior modification—the operant model, the cognitive-behavioral model, and the cognitive model —are briefly described, followed by a discussion of the methodological considerations which limit the interpretability of self-monitoring research. A review of self-monitoring studies with LD children reveals that although self-monitoring is effective at increasing on-task behavior, concurrent academic gains are not evident. This failure to produce academic gains is discussed in terms of current conceptualizations of attention which suggest that students must be taught not only how to pay attention, but what to pay attention to. Therefore, attention deficits among LD students may reflect an inability to perceive what is relevant in academic tasks rather than a general inability to attend. Implications for instructional design are discussed.
Effects of Discourse Mode on the Syntactic Complexity of Learning Disabled Students' Written Expression
Authors: Blair Teresa K. , Crump W. Donald
Published: April 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of discourse mode on the syntactic complexity of the written expression of learning disabled students at three grade levels. A film without narration was used to elicit written language samples in each of the two discourse modes, description and argumentation. Two measures of syntactic complexity — average length of T-unit and Syntactic Density Score — were employed to determine differences between the two modes. In addition, sentence types and syntactic patterns were examined as indices of syntactic complexity. Results of the investigation and implications of these results are discussed.
Use of Cluster Scores on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery with Learning Disabled Students
Authors: McGue Matt , Shinn Mark , Ysseldyke James
Published: April 2006

The Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (W-J) is a norm-referenced device combining measures of cognitive ability, achievement, and interest. The battery was developed using both factor analysis and multiple-regression analysis to determine differential weighting systems and derive factor clusters. The present discussion is a critical evaluation of the usefulness of the battery for the assessment of learning disabled (LD) students. Data on 50 learning disabled fourth-grade students were used to investigate the logical consistency and external validity of the Woodcock-Johnson. Based on the above data, the W-J factor clusters could not be replicated in this sample of learning disabled students; also, little evidence was found of the validity of either the cognitive factor clusters or the aptitude factor clusters. Major questions are raised regarding subtest overlap and especially suppressor variables, as well as operationalization of the aptitude clusters.
Multipass: A Learning Strategy for Improving Reading Comprehension
Authors: Schumaker Jean B. , Deshler Donald D. , Alley Gordon R. , Warner Michael M. , Denton Pegi H.
Published: April 2006

Multipass, a complex learning strategy designed to enable students to gain information from textbook chapters, was taught to eight learning disabled adolescents. The instructional procedures involved a 10-step process including (a) description of the steps of the strategy, (b) modeling of the strategy, and (c) student practice to criterion in both ability-level and grade-level materials. A multiple-baseline design across three substrategies was replicated eight times. Results showed that students learned the Multipass strategy following the institution of training and were able to generalize their use of the strategy to grade-level textbooks. Furthermore, students' grades on tests covering the textbook material improved after they learned the strategy. These results show that a specific instructional methodology can be effectively used to teach a complex learning strategy to learning disabled adolescents.
Learning Disabilities in Mathematics — Skill Deficits and Remedial Approaches at the Intermediate and Secondary Level
Authors: McLeod Terry M. , Armstrong Stephen W.
Published: April 2006

A total of 114 junior-high, middle-grade, and high-school LD teachers responded to a survey concerning various aspects of mathematics disabilities in students presently on their caseload. The most common deficit areas reported included division of whole numbers, basic operations involving fractions, decimals, percent, fraction terminology, multiplication of whole numbers, place value, measurement skills, and language of mathematics. The remediation approach most often utilized consisted of teacher adaptation of mainstream texts, followed by commercial and teacher-made materials. Respondents indicated the need for a commercial mathematics program based on the mainstream mathematics curriculum with an emphasis on systematic, extended practice for students with learning disabilities in mathematics. The results hold implications for teachers working with secondary students with learning disabilities in mathematics.
Learning Word Meanings: A Comparison of Instructional Procedures
Authors: Pany Darlene , Jenkins Joseph R.
Published: April 2006

While a considerable amount of research has been conducted on learning disabled populations to determine their ability to decode and learn words in isolation, limited research has addressed the reading comprehension of LD populations. Pany and Jenkins compared the effects of three instructional strategies on reading comprehension. Specifically, the study measured recall of word meanings and recall of facts from a story. The authors discuss the implications of their findings for remedial reading instruction.
Interactive Videodisc: Instructional Design of a Beginning Reading Program
Authors: Thorkildsen Ron J. , Friedman Susan G.
Published: April 2006

This article provides a general overview of the nature and capabilities of interactive videodisc systems (microcomputer/videodisc), with particular emphasis on their application to learners with special needs. To illustrate current trends in this technology as explored by the project, Interactive Videodiscs in Special Education Technology (IVSET), at Utah State University, the Beginning Sight Reading (BSR) programs are discussed in detail. These programs were designed to investigate three dimensions of instructional technology: (a) its instructional potential; (b) effects of minimal versus extensive remediation; and (c) rate of instruction. To assess the effects of different remedial approaches, two versions of the BSR program were designed: BSR-1 represents extensive remediation; BSR-2 represents minimal remediation.

The results of initial BSR field-testing show that the test scores of students in the two remediation groups doubled from pre- to posttest. In addition, the high-remediation group finished 10% faster than the low-remediation subjects. Conclusions and suggestions for future research are presented.
Expert Systems: Implications for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Learning Disabilities
Authors: Hofmeister Alan M. , Lubke Margaret M.
Published: April 2006

Application of artificial intelligence to the problems of education is a relatively recent endeavor. This article will focus on one of the most promising aspects of artificial intelligence — expert systems technology — and some of the characteristics that make expert systems “intelligent”. Selected present and potential applications of expert systems to the field of learning disabilities are presented along with examples of specific expert systems.
Benefits of Notetaking: Implications for Secondary and Postsecondary Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Suritsky Sharon K. , Hughes Charles A.
Published: April 2006

Notetaking is the primary method used by secondary and postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LD) to acquire lecture information. The literature on notetaking was reviewed to obtain an empirical base for designing effective notetaking programming and identifying critical areas for future research. Results include the benefits of recording and reviewing notes as well as identification of listener- and lecturer-controlled variables that influence effective notetaking. Findings are discussed in relation to the learner characteristics of secondary and postsecondary LD students.
Effects of Instruction in the Use of a Visual-Imagery Strategy on the Reading-Comprehension Competence of Disabled and Average Readers
Authors: Chan Lorna K. S. , Cole Peter G. , Morris Jane N.
Published: April 2006

Thirty-nine upper-primary disabled readers and 39 third-grade average readers matched with the disabled readers on word-recognition ability were randomly assigned to three training conditions — visualization instruction only (VI), visualization instruction plus pictorial display (VI+P), and a read-reread (RR) control condition. Training and testing took place over four 40-min. sessions in small groups of five. Results indicated that the VI+P condition, in which subjects were instructed to make pictures in their mind and were shown a pictorial display that illustrated the temporal-spatial sequence of the reading text, was particularly effective in facilitating disabled readers' comprehension performance. However, adequate time and practice are necessary for mastery of the strategy, and appropriate gradual fading of external support is critical to promote internalization and generalization of strategy use
Comparison of Predictable and Unpredictable Trial Sequences during Small-Group Instruction
Authors: Ault Melinda Jones , Wolery Mark , Gast David L. , Doyle Patricia Munson , Martin Carol Precious
Published: April 2006

The use of predictable (round robin) and unpredictable (random) trial sequences during small-group instruction was evaluated in three experiments in teaching word and abbreviation identification to four students with learning disabilities; a fifth student participated in part of Experiment I before moving to another school. In Experiment I, a progressive time-delay procedure was used to teach word reading in a small group, and the effects of a single-trial, predictable sequence was compared to a single-trial, unpredictable sequence. In Experiment II, a progressive time-delay procedure also was used to teach abbreviation identification in a small group, and the effects of a multiple-trial, predictable sequence was compared to a multiple-trial, unpredictable sequence. In Experiment III, a model-test procedure was used in a small group, and the effects of the multiple-trial, predictable sequence was compared to the single-trial, unpredictable sequence. An adapted alternating-treatments design was used in all experiments. Results indicate that the progressive time-delay procedure was reliably implemented and was effective in establishing criterion-level responding by all group members. Students also learned words taught to other students through observation. In Experiment I, the two trial sequences did not differ substantially, and in Experiment II mixed effects were found. With the model-test procedure in Experiment III, two students initially produced higher levels of correct responding in the multiple-trial, predictable sequence; however, no substantial differences were found in observational learning. Across all investigations, no consistent effects of the trial presentation methods were noted.
Learning Disabled Children's Attributions for Success and Failure
Authors: Pearl Ruth , Bryan Tanis , Donahue Mavis
Published: April 2006

These studies examined underachieving and control children's beliefs about the causes of their successes and failures. In Study 1, third- through eighth-grade children were administered a scale measuring locus of control in achievement situations. Results indicated that underachieving children had weaker feelings of internal control over success than the control children. In Study 2, first- through eighth-grade children rated the importance of ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck for success and failure in reading, on puzzles, and in social situations. The children's ratings indicated that underachievers believed lack of effort played less of a role in their failures than did control children. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for the achievement behavior of learning disabled children.
The Four Ws of Current Testing Practices: Who; What; Why; and to Whom — An Exploratory Survey
Authors: Mardell-Czudnowski Carol D.
Published: April 2006

A total of 579 professionals throughout Illinois completed a survey designed to shed light on which professionals use tests; which categories of children are most frequently tested; which tests are usually used and for what purpose. Analyses of the data revealed that learning disabled children are the most frequently tested group of children and that learning disabilities professionals, psychologists, and speech/language therapists constitute the three groups of practitioners who apparently utilize tests most often as a part of the assessment process. Finally, it appears that screening tests are being utilized by some professionals for diagnostic purposes. Since PL 94–142 mandates that special education placement be based on individualized test data, it behooves professionals to use appropriate tests in the decision-making process.
Identifying Children with Learning Disabilities: A Comparison of Diagnostic Procedures across School Districts
Authors: Perlmutter Barry F. , Parus Mildred V.
Published: April 2006

Diagnostic procedures used to identify children (grades K-6) with learning disabilities in 14 school districts were studied and compared. The degree of uniformity in procedures for initial referral, testing, and diagnostic criteria, as well as differences in the selection of testing instruments by various districts were examined. Information was gathered through individual interviews with school personnel involved in the assessment of learning disabled children within each district. Although some similarities existed between districts, uniformity was lacking in important areas such as test selection, extent of testing, and cutoff scores on intelligence and other tests. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the reliability of diagnoses across districts, as well as their meaning for researchers in the field.
Social Skills and Social Perception of LD and Nonhandicapped Elementary-School Students
Authors: Cartledge Gwendolyn , Stupay Diane , Kaczala Caroline
Published: April 2006

Twenty-six pairs of elementary-aged LD and nonhandicapped children were assessed individually on social perception (empathy) and social skills measures. Empathy was determined by the children's responses to stories involving various emotional situations, and was defined both as their tendency to identify with the emotion another person is experiencing (empathy-1) as well as their ability to label emotions in others (empathy-2). Social skill was measured by teacher ratings of the subjects on the Social Behavior Assessment (SBA). With the exception of the Task-Related category on the SBA, statistically significant differences were not found between the two subject groups on the empathy and social skills measures. Moderate correlations between social skill and empathy were obtained only for the nonhandicapped children. Empathy−1 and −2 appeared to measure distinct skills, thus relating differently to the social skills assessed. These findings question the assumed relationship between social skill and social perception, particularly with reference to the usefulness of social perception instruction of learning disabled individuals.
Academic and Behavioral Characteristics of Learning Disabled Children and Average Achievers: Longitudinal Studies
Authors: McKinney James D. , Feagans Lynne
Published: April 2006

Longitudinal research in the area of learning disabilities has been lacking for some time. The study reported here is an attempt to chart the development of newly identified LD children over the early elementary school years while they are receiving LD services in the public school. This paper includes initial behavioral and academic data for a large sample of 6- and 7-year-old LD and normally achieving students, and charts the progress of about half the children over a 3-year period using teacher rating scales, a classroom observational system, and an achievement test. Results of the study over the three years show that LD children fall progressively further behind their normal peers in reading comprehension. In math, they stay relatively the same distance below their peers. The LD subjects' behavior relative to that of their peers is suboptimal for classroom learning in the first year of the study, with less on-task and more off-task behavior — a pattern which continues over the three-year period. This portrait of learning disabled children suggests that learning disabilities are difficult to remediate, and that we may need to rethink our pattern of services to these students if we want them to function successfully in the regular classroom.
Pragmatics: The Verbal Language of Learning Disabled and Nondisabled Boys
Authors: Boucher C. Robin
Published: April 2006

This study examined the verbal language complexity and styles of learning disabled and nondisabled boys in social interactions with an adult and with a peer to determine if LD boys' verbal language complexity and styles differed from those of non-LD boys and to determine if LD boys could adapt their verbal language complexity and styles to age of listener. Results indicated that (a) LD boys had less complex verbal language, (b) they could adjust verbal language and style to listener, and (c) both LDs and non-LDs showed particular, complementary communication styles. Findings suggest strategies for remediation and further research in pragmatics.
How do the Results of Metacognitive Research Impact on the Learning Disabled Individual?
Authors: Wong Bernice Y.L.
Published: April 2006

This paper explores the impact of metacognitive research on learning disabled (LD) individuals. Specifically, the focus is on the positive effects of metacognitive research on the teaching of LD students, and on the importance of broadening LD teachers' understanding of their students' academic failures. The discussion concludes by pointing to the direction in which future research may profitably be extended.
LD Children's Comprehension of Selected Textual Features: Effects of Proximity of Information
Authors: Kameenui Edward J. , Simmons Deborah C. , Darch Craig B.
Published: April 2006

This study investigated elementary-age LD children's ability to comprehend narrative text when information explicitly identified as being important to resolving a goal statement was systematically dispersed or centralized within a text. Responses to comprehension questions and recall measures specific to a resolution of the goal statements were analyzed after LD children read and listened to six passages. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed no statistically significant effect for input mode on either measure. A statistically significant effect was found for proximity of information on both the comprehension and the recall measure.
Role-Taking Skills in Normal Achieving and Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Wong Bernice Y.L. , Wong Roderick
Published: April 2006

This study investigated role-taking skills in normal achieving and learning disabled children. The children looked at three cartoon series, in each of which a main character was portrayed as being caught up in a chain of events resulting in respective states of anger or fear or sadness. Additionally, in each of them, a bystander was introduced who witnessed the main character's psychological state without the knowledge of the prior context of the events. Each child told the stories from the viewpoints of the main characters and of the bystanders. Only the bystanders' stories were scored for egocentrism. The extent to which subjects could take a perspective which was unclouded by contextual knowledge known only to themselves was thus measured. The results showed that learning disabled children were much less able to adopt an alternative viewpoint than their normal counterparts. Moreover, within the group of learning disabled children, females were substantially more egocentric than males. The results enhanced understanding of previous findings of social problems in learning disabled children, and underscored the need for training learning disabled children in social skills.
Teacher Rating and Reading Readiness as Predictors of Vocabulary and Comprehension Achievement in First, Second, Third and Fourth Grade
Authors: Glazzard Peggy H.
Published: April 2006

This study evaluates two kindergarten predictive instruments by following the same population over one, two, three, and four years using multiple-regression analysis. The Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests: Readiness Skills (1968) and the Teacher Estimate of Kindergarten Pupils' Abilities (Kirk, 1966) were used as predictor variables. The criterion variables consisted of the vocabulary and comprehension test scores from the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests Primary, A, B, C, and Survey D administered one, two, three, and four years later. The analyses show exactly which subtests on the reading readiness tests and exactly which areas of the kindergarten teacher rating scale were predictive. Results of this study clearly indicate the need for a revised teacher rating scale incorporating fewer areas.
Temporal Stability of the Metropolitan Achievement Test When Used with Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Zingale Salvatore A. , Smith Monte D. , Dokecki Paul R.
Published: April 2006

The temporal stability of three levels of the Metropolitan Achievement Test (Primary I, Primary II, and Elementary) when administered to children with learning disabilities was investigated. Participants in the study were children identified by their schools as having learning problems based on discrepancies between their chronological age, mental age, and level of academic performance. The MAT was administered twice with a one-month interval between administrations. Many coefficients of temporal stability obtained were above the pre-established .80 cutoff point. It was concluded that the MAT is reliable when used with learning disabled children.
Two Key Concepts in the Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities and the Habilitation of Learning
Authors: Reynolds Cecil R.
Published: April 2006

Two key concepts in diagnosing learning disabilities (“severe discrepancy” and “process dysfunction”) are reviewed and their relationship to the habilitation of learning is discussed. Specific guidelines are delineated for correctly calculating a severe discrepancy between an individual's age and ability and level of academic attainment. Methods and reasons for evaluating processing skills are also discussed. Process models of deficit-centered remediation are dismissed in favor of strength models of remediation.
Individual Differences in Learning Disabled Students' Use of Contextual Cuing
Authors: Reisberg L.E.
Published: April 2006

This study was designed to examine individual differences among learning disabled poor readers in their use of contextual cuing to aid word identification. Words were presented to the subjects in both connected text and in isolation. The study employed a reversal design in which half the subjects read the words in the following order: context, isolation, context, isolation (ABAB). The other half of the subjects were presented with the conditions in the opposite order. Subject errors in each of the four conditions were recorded. Group statistical analysis found a significant effect favoring context over isolation. Subjects made fewer errors in the context than in the isolation conditions. An individual analysis of the subject errors using the reversal design, however, revealed that three of the subjects made consistently fewer errors in isolation than in context. This effect indicates that for some students, at least, context does not facilitate word identification.
Syntactic and Vocabulary Development in the Written Language of Learning Disabled and Non-Learning Disabled Students at Four Age Levels
Authors: Morris Nancy T. , Crump W. Donald
Published: April 2006

Learning disabled students demonstrate serious problems in developing written language facility. Although written expression is one of seven aspects of achievement specified in the federal guidelines for identification of learning disabled students, measurement of written language development is quite complex. The search for a single, sensitive index of written language development is compounded by the synergistic nature of written language and the influence of contrived formats used in assessment. Syntax and vocabulary are frequently employed in research on written language development. Thus, the minimal terminable unit (T-unit) and the type/token ratio have been used as indices of syntactic and vocabulary development in analyzing samples of students' written language. Recently, computer technology has permitted the use of more complex measures of syntactic density and vocabulary intensity. The purpose of this study was to compare the written language development of learning disabled and non-learning disabled students at four age levels on measures of syntactic and vocabulary development. Implications for measurement and research are discussed.
LD Children's Attributions for Success and Failure: A Replication with a Labeled LD Sample
Authors: Pearl Ruth
Published: April 2006

Third- and fourth-grade learning disabled children's attributions for success and failure were examined. Results indicated that successes are not always interpreted by learning disabled children as reflecting something positive about themselves. At the same time, failure is not necessarily viewed as something that can be overcome with effort. The findings point to the need for parents and teachers to be sensitive to LD children's potentially debilitating interpretation of their own performances.
Effects of Same-Age Peer Tutoring on the Spelling Performance of a Mainstreamed Elementary LD Student
Authors: Mandoli Marie , Mandoli Peter , McLaughlin T.F.
Published: April 2006

The effects of a peer-tutoring procedure on the spelling behavior of a mainstreamed elementary-school learning disabled student were investigated in an AB single-subject design. Overall results indicated that the subject obtained greater accuracy on the spelling tests during the peer-tutoring condition than during the baseline condition. Self-reports and ratings on the treatment indicated that both the peer tutor and the tutored student felt they had improved their spelling performance.
Questioning Discrepancies: Retaking the First Step 20 Years Later
Authors: Algozzine Bob , Ysseldyke James E.
Published: April 2006

The term learning disability was scarsely off the breath of the early pioneers when a profession began questioning its own integrity. Today, the proliferation of students classified as learning disabled (LD) has caused social, political, economic, and educational concerns that, in turn, have produced serious questioning of practices. The driving force behind most conceptualizations of learning disabilities is the discrepancy between ability and achievement; yet, the dimensions of this parameter have not been documented.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the nature and occurrence of discrepancies between ability and achievement scores of students demonstrating average overall performance on commonly used assessment devices. Ability and achievement scores in several domains on individual and group-administered tests were compared. In general, difference patterns of students with average overall performance scores were similar across grade levels and achievement tests. Average discrepancies were generally small; however, wide (30–50 points) ranges were evident at all grade levels for individual and group-administered tests. Implications of these findings for current and future use of discrepancies as estimators of disabilities are discussed.
The Methodological Content of Teacher Education Programs in Learning Disabilities: Clearly Specialized and Impressively Current — Another View of Pugach and Whitten's Survey Results
Authors: Heward William L. , Heron Timothy E.
Published: April 2006

Conclusion: We believe the field owes Pugach and Whitten a debt of gratitude for conducting their survey of methodological content in teacher preparation programs in LD/mild handicaps. The field can only benefit from further research of this type. In addition to determining course content, future research should also ask the more difficult questions: Are preparation programs in LD/mild handicaps effective in training preservice special educators to apply the instructional approaches they emphasize (whatever they may be called)? Can learning disabilities professionals play a useful role in getting regular educators to replicate the application of research-based instructional strategies to prevent so many children from failing in the first place?
Math Word Problems: Suggestions for LD Students
Authors: Cawley John F. , Fitzmaurice Anne M. , Shaw Robert A. , Kahn Harris , Bates Herman
Published: April 2006

This represents the final article in a series of three articles by John F. Cawley and his associates on mathematics and learning disabled students. The authors present specific strategies for systematically developing problem-solving experiences for LD students in mathematical curricula. The information discussed in this article is based on the extensive data pool collected by the authors on the mathematics characteristics of LD populations and the program development that has resulted from their efforts.
Diagnostic Classification of LD: A Practical Necessity and a Procedural Problem
Authors: Adelman Howard S.
Published: April 2006

As the diagnosis of learning disabilities has become widespread and commonplace, considerable debate has raged over the issue of labeling. Since the polemics have generated some confusion, it is important that professionals not lose sight of the major purposes and serious concerns related to diagnostic practices. In a two-part series, Adelman will (1) highlight why diagnostic procedures are necessary and why it is difficult to arrive at a valid diagnosis and (2) offer some perspectives on research and ethical considerations related to current LD diagnostic practices. In this first article, discussion of purposes and problems involved in diagnosing LD focuses on three topics: (a) how diagnosis relates to other assessment activity, (b) the objectives of diagnostic classification, and (c) specific conceptual concerns regarding the LD label.
Differentiating LD and Normal Children: The Utility of Selected Perceptual and Perceptual-Motor Tests
Authors: Harber Jean R.
Published: April 2006

Instruments intended to measure perceptual functioning present a major thrust in the learning disability field for differentiating learning disabled from normal peers. This investigation is an attempt to improve on some of the limitations noted in other research efforts in this area. First, only instruments which are generally accepted as measures of perceptual and perceptual-motor functioning were used. Second, in order to avoid ceiling effects, all subjects were within the age range for which normative data on the selected instruments were available. Third, IQ scores and chronological age were partialled out in order to remove the effects of these variables.
Are Adolescents with Learning Disabilities Successfully Crossing the Bridge into Adult Life?
Authors: Sitlington Patricia L. , Frank Alan R.
Published: April 2006

This study investigated the adult adjustment of a statewide random sample of 911 individuals labelled learning disabled who had been graduated from school one year previously. Results are reported in terms of: (a) general characteristics of the sample; (b) characteristics of the employed individuals in terms of rate and location of employment, occupational status, number of hours worked, mean wage, and benefits; and (c) comparisons of employed and unemployed individuals in terms of vocational training, work experiences, and postsecondary training. Data are reported by level of instructional program in which the individuals were enrolled while still in school and by gender, where relevant.
Learning Disabilities Definitions and Criteria Used by State Education Departments
Authors: Mercer Cecil D. , King-Sears Peggy , Mercer Ann R.
Published: April 2006

This article reports the results of a survey of the 51 State Departments of Education (including Washington, DC) regarding their learning disabilities definitions, identification criteria, and operationalization procedures. A conceptual framework consisting of eight components was used in analyzing the definitions and identification criteria. While revealing variations, results showed the continued impact of the 1977 federal definition and criteria. For example, several state definitions now include the discrepancy component, and the use of language criteria is increasing. To determine current trends, the data are compared with those from a similar survey published in 1985. Findings are discussed in terms of trends, prereferral interventions, assessment instruments, and discrepancy models.
Subtypes of Students with Learning Disabilities as Derived from Cognitive, Academic, Behavioral, and Self-Concept Measures
Authors: Bender William N. , Golden Lorri B.
Published: April 2006

Fifty-seven children with learning disabilities were subjected to cluster analysis in an attempt to identify subgroups within the larger heterogeneous LD population. Variables used for the analysis included language- and visually based cognitive ability, reading achievement, behavior, and self-concept. Based on this analysis, the following five clusters emerged (a) a group of language deficit children, (b) a group of visual deficit children, (c) a group with no notable deficits, (d) a group with very poor reading achievement paired with very high self-concept, and (e) a group of behaviorally disordered children. Two internal validation procedures demonstrated some degree of cluster stability. Also, two external validation procedures suggested that identified clusters were distinct on external criteria. Implications of this subgroup-formation procedure for instructional grouping are presented.
Affective and Career Education for the Learning Disabled Adolescent
Authors: Kendall William S.
Published: April 2006

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the extent to which three groups of learning disabled adolescents differed on social maturity and career attitudes. The subjects included: (a) 20 LD students enrolled in secondary regular classes, (b) 20 LD students in vocational training classes, and (c) 20 LD students integrated into regular secondary classes and receiving additional assistance in learning resource centers. Results indicate that subjects in the vocational training class were superior to the other two groups in social maturity and career attitudes. Additionally, significant differences in social maturity and career attitudes were found among the three learning disabled groups.
Image and Perceptual Representation of Words in Learning Disabled and Normal Children
Authors: McCoy Kathleen M. , Weber Robert J.
Published: April 2006

Results of the present study indicated that learning disabled and normal children (x age = 111.4 months) process letters in words in either perceptual or imaginal modes for the attribute letter height. A large processing time effect was noted for mode of representation with perceptual representations of letters processed more rapidly than imaginal representations. There was also a subject-type-by-processing mode interaction. The results indicate that LD and normal children do not differ in perceptual processing time; however, LD children have a smaller image capacity than normals. Correlational results also suggest that the imaginal mode is more independent of other modes for normals than for LDs.
Research and Educational Implications of Some Recent Conceptualizations in Learning Disabilities
Authors: Wong Bernice
Published: April 2006

In the field of learning disabilities, clearly specified conceptual frameworks do not invariably accompany remedial programs and curricula. There is thus a need to develop conceptual bases for interventional programs in learning disabilities. In this paper, the implications for research and education of learning disabled students of three recently developed theories of learning disabilities are discussed. The purpose of the discussion is to encourage professionals involved with learning disabled students to use these conceptual frameworks in research and educational programs for the learning disabled.