bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examining the Research Base of the Regular Education Initiative
Authors: Hallahan Daniel P. , Keller Clayton E. , McKinney James D. , Lloyd John Wills , Bryan Tanis
Published: December 2008

Two bodies of research used to support the Regular Education Initiative are (a) the literature on the efficacy of special education and (b) studies examining the Adaptive Learning Environments Model (ALEM), a program for educating handicapped children in regular education classrooms that is often cited as an example of effective practice. The support provided by these lines of research, however, is minimal. The efficacy literature contains many limitations in terms of methodology, the age of the studies, and an emphasis on physical placements instead of practices within the placements; even if these limitations are overlooked, the results of the efficacy studies do not totally favor regular education over special education for mildly handicapped students. The ALEM studies provide insufficient information on program and subject characteristics and contain a variety of methodological limitations that call into question their conclusions. Though these limitations in the research supporting the Regular Education Initiative do not prove that special education is effective, we believe a variety of regular and special education service configurations for mildly handicapped students should still be available.
Implementing the Regular Education Initiative in Secondary Schools
Authors: Schumaker Jean B. , Deshler Donald D.
Published: December 2008

Discussions on the Regular Education Initiative (REI) have not addressed the significant differences that exist between the organizational structures, curricula, and other features of elementary and secondary schools. It is argued here that wholesale application of the REI to both elementary and secondary schools is a gross oversimplification of a complex problem. This article reviews potential barriers to implementing the REI with mildly handicapped adolescents in secondary schools and then discusses a set of factors central to developing a workable partnership that is compatible with the intent and goals of the REI but that is also realistic in responding to the unique parameters of secondary schools.
Redefining the Applied Research Agenda
Authors: Lloyd John Wills , Crowley E. Paula , Kohler Frank W. , Strain Phillip S.
Published: December 2008

We review recent literature on four intervention approaches—cooperative learning, prereferral teams, consulting teachers, and peer-tutoring—that have been recommended as means of accommodating atypical learners in general education settings. Although there is extensive evidence about some of these approaches, there are few direct tests of their effects on atypical learners in general education settings. In addition, the evidence about some approaches is based primarily on descriptive rather than experimental data. The research in these areas, although encouraging, does not justify reducing special education services or provide definitive direction for practice. Indeed, the available evidence reemphasizes the need for careful and systematic research.
The Effectiveness of Textbook Adaptations in Life Science for High School Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Bergerud Donna , Lovitt Thomas C. , Horton Steven
Published: December 2008

Secondary students with learning disabilities are at a disadvantage in science classes because they have difficulty reading and acquiring information from textbooks. One way to help those students is to adapt textbook passages to make them easier to comprehend. This article reports the findings of a study exploring the effectiveness of two types of textbook adaptations—graphics and study guides—compared to self-study. The results indicated that graphics helped secondary, life science students achieve significantly better scores on multiple-choice tests than either study guides or self-study. No significant differences were found between the scores for study guides and self-study.
Parent Participation in the Initial Placement/IEP Conference Ten Years After Mandated Involvement
Authors: Vaughn Sharon , Bos Candace S. , Harrell Jan E. , Lasky Beth A.
Published: December 2008

This study investigated parents' participation in and perceptions of the conference on initial placement and the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and their knowledge regarding the decisions made during the conference. Twenty-six conferences were observed for children referred for possible learning disabilities. Observational data included the time parents spent asking questions, commenting, and responding to other team members. The number of parental questions and responses was also recorded. Immediately following the conference, parents participated in a structured interview. Observational data suggest that the majority of parents asked few questions and responded little during the conferences. However, interview data indicated that for the most part parents were satisfied with the conferences and had no further questions. Results are discussed relative to the intent of P.L. 94-142 and research on the IEP conference that was conducted soon after enactment of the law. A retrospective look at the law that mandated parent involvement and implications for future policy are presented.
Comprehension of Proverbs by Average Children and Children with Learning Disorders
Authors: Lutzer Victoria D.
Published: December 2008

Learning disabled and average learners in grades 2, 4, and 6 were asked to tell the meanings of 12 proverbs. Responses were evaluated for correctness, metaphoric quality, articulation, and awareness of task demand. Results indicated a moderately significant difference in metaphoric correctness of response between the two ability groups only at the 6th grade. Subsequently, quality of responses was analyzed using scoring dimensions derived from Piagetian theory. Those analyses revealed developmental lags in the learning disabled group, one which seemed to disappear by the 6th grade, and one which did not, and which may involve factors necessary but not sufficient for proverbial comprehension. Educational implications and directions for future research are suggested in the light of current metacognitive and brain lateralization approaches to the education of learning disabled children.
Antecedent Knowledge and Intelligent Computer Assisted Instruction
Authors: Woodward John P. , Carnine Douglas W.
Published: December 2008

Intelligent Computer Assisted Instruction (ICAI) is an area of artificial intelligence that has received considerable attention from educators. Recently, special educators have taken an interest in this form of computer based instruction, particularly given the growing disappointment in traditional computer assisted instruction. This article reviews ICAI programs as they are typically conceptualized and notes their shortcomings for students with learning disabilities. The remainder of the article discusses ways in which ICAI programs could be useful to these students if sufficient attention is paid to antecedent knowledge; that is, a structured knowledge of the important facts, concepts, rules, and/or strategies of a particular content area. The authors argue that antecedent knowledge is taught best when content analysis and design techniques are used.
Early Identification of Learning Disabilities Using the Meeting Street School Screening Test
Authors: Rafoth Mary Ann K.
Published: December 2008

Analysis of patterns of performance on the subtests of the Meeting Street School Screening Test administered in first grade was expected to be a better predictor of later placement in a learning disabilities program than the recommended cut-off score. The hypothesis was not supported. Use of subtest scatter predicted learning disability placements less accurately than chance.
Acquisition of Domain-Specific Knowledge in Patients with Organic Memory Disorders
Authors: Glisky Elizabeth L. , Schacter Daniel L.
Published: December 2008

Patients with organic memory disorders are typically unable to acquire and retain new information and are therefore often unable to lead independent lives. The present paper outlines an approach to memory remediation that attempts to teach memory impaired patients domain-specific knowledge relevant to their everyday functioning. Several studies describe the successful use of a training technique, the method of vanishing cues, in teaching patients information and skills associated with the operation of a microcomputer. Additional studies show that knowledge acquired in the laboratory can be applied in at least one important domain of everyday life—the workplace. Suggestions for the use of these techniques with other cognitively disabled populations and in other domains are considered.
Disorders of Communication in Acquired Cerebral Trauma
Authors: Marquardt Thomas P. , Stoll Julie , Sussman Harvey
Published: December 2008

Communication disorders following cerebral trauma vary as a function of type and extent of lesion. Focal damage to the dominant hemisphere results in specific speech and language deficits similar to those seen from vascular aphasia syndromes. Following closed head injury, primary features of diffuse damage are early recovery of language form but residual impainnent in the ability to use language for effective social interaction. Specific characteristics of speech and language following focal and diffuse cerebral damage are presented. Also discussed are assessment and treatment strategies using both cognitive and language frameworks.
Evaluating the Field Test Revision Process by Comparing Two Versions of a Reasoning Skills CAI Program
Authors: Collins Maria , Carnine Douglas
Published: December 2008

The study evaluated the role of instructional design in the field test and revision process for computer assisted instruction (CAI) in drawing conclusions and critiquing syllogistic arguments. Secondary resource room students were randomly assigned to either the original CAI program or the revised program. Measures included posttest scores, time to completion, and error rates. Scores significantly favored students in the revision group who made fewer errors per lesson, took less time to complete the lessons, and had higher posttest scores on the criterion-referenced test. Instructional design principles that guided the revision process are discussed.
Children and Adolescents with Traumatic Brain Injury: Impact on the Family
Authors: Martin Darlene Aulds
Published: December 2008

The occurrence of a traumatic brain injury to a child can create substantial disruption and stress within a family. The family's ability to survive the trauma intact and adapt to the injured child is crucial since they are often the key to the child's successful rehabilitation and reentry into society. This article examines the potential impact of the injury upon the family and the complex array of factors that appear to be related to effective family coping and adaptation.
Legal Challenges in Educating Traumatic Brain Injured Students
Authors: Martin Reed
Published: December 2008

Students with a disability that adversely affects educational performance have a right to certain special education services through their public schools. The vast majority of traumatic brain injured (TBI) students would presumably have not been in special education prior to the trauma causing their injury. Their entitlement to special services, their parents' role in securing those services, and the school district's perception of them as disabled will all be new and very sudden. In this writer's experience, the parents of a TBI student are much less likely to be able to advocate effectively for their youngster's special educational needs than the parents of a child born with disabilities who have learned over time how to work with the educational system. In fact, both parents and regular school personnel may be resistant to special educational services.
Computer Aptitude: An Investigation of Differences Among Junior High Students with Learning Disabilities and Their Non-Learning-Disabled Peers
Authors: Hearne J. Dixon , Poplin Mary S. , Schoneman Carole , O'Shaughnessy Elizabeth
Published: December 2008

Despite the growing utility of the computer as a creative and self-expressive medium, it is rarely accessible for such purposes in the classroom. The professional literature is replete with evidence that computer utilization among students with learning disabilities has been primarily a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) approach. This narrow view of learners as receptors suggests, among other things, that because of their exceptionalities, students with learning disabilities possess relatively fewer strengths than their non-learning-disabled peers and less aptitude for such complex and creative tasks as programming. The purpose of the present study was twofold: (a) to investigate differences in computer aptitude among 56 junior high school students with learning disabilities and 56 non-learning-disabled peers, and (b) to consider gender differences in computer aptitude among the entire sample population. Subjects in each group were administered the Computer Aptitude, Literacy, and Interest Profile (CALIP) (Poplin, Drew, & Gable, 1984), and their composite scores were compared. Results indicated no significant difference in scores earned by students with learning disabilities and those of their non-learning-disabled peers. Likewise, intergroup score comparison suggested that no relationship existed between gender and computer aptitude among students in this sample.
Managing Resistance: An Essential Consulting Skill for Learning Disabilities Teachers
Authors: Friend Marilyn , Bauwens Jeanne
Published: December 2008

Consultation has become an increasingly important part of the special education service delivery system for students with learning disabilities (LD). However, special education teachers implementing consultation programs with general education teachers should expect to encounter some resistance to their efforts. This article explores the characteristics of resistance and discusses various manifestations of resistance in consultative interventions. It offers teachers of students with LD strategies for managing specific types of resistance as well as a general plan for minimizing resistance. Suggestions for evaluating the impact of resistance management strategies are also included.
Cognitive Abilities in Children with Reading Disabilities and Controls: A Follow-Up Study
Authors: LaBuda Michele C. , DeFries J. C.
Published: December 2008

Seventy children with reading disabilities and 75 control children who had been administered an extensive psychometric test battery were given a follow-up test approximately 4 years later. An independent sample of 35 children with reading disabilities and 22 control children were administered the same test battery on three occasions over an average interval of 8.6 years. When measures of reading performance, symbol-processing speed, and spatial reasoning were subjected to a mixed-model multivariate analysis of variance, significant effects due to group (reading disabled vs. control), time (initial test session vs. follow-up), and their interaction were found for both samples. Although children with reading disabilities manifested deficits at each age, the rate of improvement in measures of reading and spatial reasoning across age was highly similar for the affected and control groups. However, with regard to symbol-processing speed, differences between the groups were greater at the later ages. In general, results of this study demonstrate that reading disability tends to persist into young adulthood.
Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Test Battery Profiles: A Comparative Study of College Freshmen With and Without Learning Disabilities
Authors: Dalke Connie
Published: December 2008

This investigation compared patterns of performance on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery Parts I, II, and III of 72 college freshmen, 36 with learning disabilities (LD) and 36 without learning disabilities (NLD). The results indicated significant overall differences between the two groups, with the LD freshmen performing lower than the NLD freshmen in all 17 clusters of the WJPB with the exception of the scholastic and nonscholastic interest inventories. This study supports observations that individuals with learning disabilities continue to have academic and cognitive delays as they enter postsecondary educational environments. Implications for curriculum planning and further research in this area are discussed.
The Exclusionary Clause and the Disadvantaged: Do We Try to Comply with the Law?
Authors: Harris Jerry D. , Gray Bonnie A. , Davis Jane E. , Zaremba Elizabeth T. , Argulewicz Ed N.
Published: December 2008

Among school psychologists serving a national, systematic sample of public schools, 47% reported compliance with Section 4 of the learning disabilities exclusionary clause, 38% reported purposeful noncompliance, and 10% reported inconsistent compliance. Those who attempt compliance consider a variety of factors in their decisions, but few pupils are actually excluded.
Studies of Children with Learning Disabilities Who Perform Poorly on Memory Span Tasks
Authors: Torgesen Joseph K.
Published: December 2008

This paper describes an extended series of studies focusing on a relatively small subgroup of children with learning disabilities (LD). Children in the subgroup (which constitutes about 15% to 20% of school identified children with LD) have approximately average general intelligence, but perform in the retarded range on tasks that require immediate verbatim recall of sequences of verbal information. Data are provided concerning the severity, stability, and breadth of their memory performance deficits. Experimental analyses of their performance deficits suggest that they result from inefficiency in coding, or representing, the phonological features of language. Further experiments are reported that study the effects of this specific processing difficulty on the performance of complex academic tasks. The primary academic limitation of children in the subgroup appears to involve acquisition of fluent word identification, or word analysis skills. The last section of the paper contains a discussion of remedial implications and future research directions.
Learning Disabilities
Authors: Coplin Jane W. , Morgan Sam B.
Published: December 2008

The heterogeneity of children with learning disorders is discussed. Subtypes of learning disabilities based on neuropsychological, developmental, and behavioral perspectives are reviewed. Each approach is examined in terms of its particular definition and explanation of learning disorders as well as its strengths and weaknesses and implications for intervention. A multidimensional perspective that integrates aspects of these three views is proposed. Within this broader perspective a distinction is drawn between production and mediational subtypes of learning disorders, and emphasis is placed on an idiographic approach to assessment and treatment.
Prevalence of Communication Disorders in Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Gibbs Denise P. , Cooper Eugene B.
Published: December 2008

The prevalence of communication disorders in a population of 242 children with learning disabilities between 8 and 12 years of age enrolled in a school system in Alabama was studied. The prevalence of articulation, language, voice, fluency, and hearing disorders was determined through an individual assessment program. A speech, language, or hearing problem was exhibited by 96.2% (233) of the 242 children studied. Language deficits were found in 90.5%, articulation deficits in 23.5%, voice disorders in 12%, and fluency disorders in 1.2% of the students with learning disabilities. Puretone hearing deficits were observed in 7.4% and middle ear function deficits were observed in 15.7% of the students. Only 6% of the children were receiving the services of a speech-language pathologist.
Teaching Social Studies to High School Students with Academic Handicaps in a Mainstreamed Setting
Authors: Horton Steven V. , Lovitt Thomas C. , Givens Alex , Nelson Robin
Published: December 2008

This research investigated the effectiveness of a computerized study guide, in comparison to a notetaking condition, as a method to increase textbook comprehension among students with learning disabilities and remedial education pupils enrolled in a ninth-grade world geography class. Results indicated that the computerized study guide produced significantly higher performance than notetaking for both groups of students. There was no significant difference in the performance of the two groups within treatments. Several practical issues concerning the implementation of computerized study guides in secondary programs serving students with academic handicaps are discussed.
A Computer Analysis of Written Language Variables and a Comparison of Compositions Written by University Students with and without Learning Disabilities
Authors: Gajar Anna H.
Published: December 2008

The utility of computerized analysis of variables cited as predictors of success in written expression was examined. The analysis of compositions written by 423 university students revealed a three-factor structure on 17 variables associated with written expression. A comparison of compositions written by university students with and without learning disabilities was conducted on the three factors identified as vocabulary/fluency, syntactic maturity, and vocabulary/diversity. Students with learning disabilities differed significantly on the factors labeled vocabulary/fluency and syntactic maturity. Students with learning disabilities were not as fluent in word production and in the number of different words used in their compositions as their non-learning-disabled peers. They did, however, produce longer sentences and T-units. The findings of this study suggest that emphasis on the postsecondary level needs to focus on expanding the use of written vocabulary skills, and that the T-unit may not be the best determiner of syntactic complexity at the adult level.
Longitudinal Research on the Behavioral Characteristics of Children with Learning Disabilities
Authors: McKinney James D.
Published: December 2008

This paper summarizes a program of research on the behavioral characteristics of children with learning disabilities (LD) compared to average achievers. Longitudinal studies over a 3-year period beginning in the first and second grades showed that children with LD, as a heterogeneous group, displayed a persistent pattern of maladaptive classroom behavior that distinguished them from average achieving peers and that was associated with continued underachievement over time. Subsequently, children with LD in the longitudinal sample were clustered into seven different subtypes that represented attention problems, conduct and classroom management problems, withdrawn-dependent behavior, and normal behavior. Although no differences in achievement were found initially between behavioral subtypes, children in the attention and conduct problem subtypes had poorer academic outcomes 3 years later compared to those in the withdrawn subtype and those who had no significant behavior problems. The collective findings from this research are discussed in terms of the developmental relationship between learning disabilities, attention disorders, and social/emotional problems, and implications are drawn for a greater focus on behavioral interventions in special education and prevention efforts in the early grades.
A Comparison of Students with Learning Disabilities to Low Achieving and Higher Achieving Students on Three Dimensions of Social Competence
Authors: Bursuck William
Published: December 2008

Research continues to accumulate attesting to the fact that many children with learning disabilities are experiencing social difficulties in school. Nonetheless, it is also clear that achievement deficits, with or without the presence of a handicapping condition, are also related to social problems in the classroom. Several studies attempting to clarify the relative roles of handicapping condition and achievement in social adjustment have produced mixed results. The purpose of the present study was to clarify this issue further by examining the social differences between elementary school students with learning disabilities and other low achieving and higher achieving children on three social dimensions: sociometric status, behavior as rated by teachers, and self-ratings of social competence. The results indicated that the children with learning disabilities may be at higher risk socially than their low achieving and higher achieving peers. Variables that may account for these results are discussed as well as directions for future research.
Depression and Learning Disabilities in Children
Authors: Mokros Hartmut B. , Poznanski Elva O. , Merrick William A.
Published: December 2008

Performance-Verbal IQ discrepancy scores are compared for 27 depressed and 15 nondepressed children all of whom experienced learning difficulties. Brumbach (1985) reported a significant association between depression and Performance IQ deficits for children with learning difficulties. In contrast to Brumbach's finding, no difference was observed in Performance IQ deficit between depressed and nondepressed children in the current study. Moreover, only 10% of depressed children showed such a deficit. This result differed significantly from Brumbach's findings (34%). Implications of these results are discussed within the context of nascent interest in the relationship between depression and learning disabilities.
Auditory, Visual, and Multisensory Nonverbal Social Perception in Adolescents with and without Learning Disabilities
Authors: Sisterhen Daniel H. , Gerber Paul J.
Published: December 2008

Adolescents with and without learning disabilities (14, 16, and 18 years old) were tested to determine whether they differed in auditory, visual, and/or multisensory (combined auditory/visual) social perception abilities. Differences between the two groups in growth of auditory, visual, and multisensory social-perception abilities were also measured. Results of the data analyses revealed that adolescents with learning disabilities were not as adept at understanding nonverbal social information regardless of whether the information was visual or multisensory in nature. Further, nonverbal social-perception ability for both visual and multisensory information improved with increasing age for both populations. Finally, adolescents with learning disabilities continued to demonstrate comparatively poorer social-perception abilities through the 18-year level.
Locus of Control of Children with Learning Disabilities and Perceived Locus of Control by Significant Others
Authors: Kane Lewis Shirley , Lawrence-Patterson Elizabeth
Published: December 2008

The perceptions of parents and teachers of 24 children with learning disabilities regarding their children's or students' locus of control (LC) orientation were compared to the LC orientation held by the children themselves. While no significant differences were found between parents and children, teachers were found to perceive in their students with learning disabilities significantly more internally oriented success experiences than the students perceived in themselves. Significant differences in LC orientation were also found between the children with learning disabilities and a comparable group of nondisabled subjects. Implications for both preservice and inservice teacher education are presented.
A Validity Study of the Stanford-Binet
Authors: Smith Douglas K. , Martin Mark E. St. , Lyon Mark A.
Published: December 2008

This study compared the performance of 18 elementary-age students with learning disabilities on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale: Fourth Edition and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children. Correlations (corrected for restriction of range) between the two instruments were strong, r = .74, p < .001 for Test Composite/Mental Processing Composite and r = .85, p < .001 for Test Composite/Achievement.
The Effects of Daily Homework Assignments on the Acquisition of Basic Skills by Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Rosenberg Michael S.
Published: December 2008

Examined in this two-study investigation was the effectiveness of supplemental homework assignments on the acquisition of basic skills by students with diagnosed learning disabilities (LD). In Experiment 1, an adapted alternating treatments design was used to investigate the efficacy of unstructured homework assignments with 6 elementary school-aged students having basic math problems. Although the impact of the homework assignments differed across students, three factors maximized the effectiveness of the homework assignments: rate of homework completion, percentage correct on the homework assignments, and the rate of acquisition of the content being presented. Experiment 2, designed to formally test the effectiveness of homework assignments structured specifically to address these identified factors, confirmed that homework can be employed to increase the effectiveness of direct instruction sequences with students diagnosed as LD.
Visual and Phonological Processing of Words
Authors: Foorman Barbara R. , Liberman Dov
Published: December 2008

At the beginning of the school year, 80 first graders, half receiving phonics instruction and half receiving whole word instruction, were asked to spell, read aloud, and recognize 60 regular and exception words. A standardized reading test and phoneme segmentation test were also administered. Those above grade level in reading excelled in phonological recoding and application of grapheme-phoneme correspondence rules and were weaker in utilization of visual-orthographic knowledge. Those below grade level applied visual more than phonological coding and benefited from the visual-orthographic knowledge available in a clue word. Results support a continuum of visual and phonological analysis skills in first-grade reading consistent with Frith's (1985) logographic, alphabetic, and orthographic skill levels.
Coherence
Authors: Gregg Noel , Hoy Cheri
Published: December 2008

The ability to understand and produce coherent text structure was assessed across three groups of college writers, normally achieving, learning disabled, and underprepared. It was found that college writers with learning disabilities were more like the normally achieving writers on an assessment of comprehension of text structure. On the production of a coherent text, normally achieving writers performed better than either of the other groups, but the writers with learning disabilities (LD) performed better than the underprepared writers. These results suggest that the writers with LD demonstrate greater discrepancies between their comprehension and production of written form than either of the other groups. The writers with LD appear to understand text structure like normally achieving writers but, like the underprepared writers, they experience difficulty in the production processes.
Locus of Control in Children with Learning Disabilities and Hyperactivity
Authors: Tarnowski Kenneth J. , Nay Susan M.
Published: December 2008

The Nowicki-Strickland Locus of Control Scale (Nowicki & Strickland, 1973) was administered to 51 boys, ages 7 to 9 years. Children were classified into four separate diagnostic groups: (a) attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH), (b) learning disabled (LD), (c) ADDH-LD, and (d) controls. Results of a 2 X 2 (ADDH X LD) analysis of variance indicated that the LD diagnostic dimension was associated with heightened externality. Locus of control scores were not found to be significantly related to scores on a variety of other descriptive and diagnostic measures with the exception of IQ-academic achievement discrepancy scores. Results are contrasted with previous findings for ADDH and LD samples and highlight the vulnerability of children who are experiencing even relatively minor learning problems. Implications for intervention and future research are discussed.
Alpha Hemispheric Asymmetry in Children with Learning Disabilities and Normally Achieving Children During Story Comprehension and Rehearsal Prior to Narrative Production
Authors: Haynes William O. , Haynes Maureen D. , Strickland-Helms Donna F.
Published: December 2008

Twelve children with learning disabilities attending a remedial summer clinic were compared with 12 normally achieving controls balanced for age, sex, and handedness on alpha amplitude and production of narratives. Specifically, all subjects participated in three conditions. Condition I was a vigilance condition, Condition 2 involved listening to a story without an ending that had to be retold, and Condition 3 was an opportunity to rehearse the story mentally and construct an appropriate ending. Alpha amplitudes were monitored during the three conditions to determine any hemispheric asymmetry or differences between groups or conditions in alpha production. The subjects' narrative productions of retelling the story with a novel ending were also analyzed using a cohesion analysis procedure. The results showed no significant differences between the groups in alpha amplitude, but there was a significant task effect with the vigilance condition, story comprehension, and rehearsal showing decreasing alpha amplitudes in both groups of subjects. Analysis of the narratives showed the group with learning disabilities to produce significantly shorter and less cohesive stories. Results are discussed in relation to other studies of hemispheric processing differences in populations with learning disabilities.
Differences That Make a Difference
Authors: Berger Roberta S. , Reid D. Kim
Published: December 2008

To determine if cognition among persons with learning disabilities (LD) and mild mental retardation (MMR) is similar, we compared metacomponential functioning and knowledge acquisition across groups of incarcerated adults with LD and high IQ (HIQLD), with LD and low IQ (LIQLD), with normal achievement (NA), and with MMR. The Slosson Intelligence Test Computer Report (Nicholson, 1984) formula established criteria for group inclusion. Metacomponential functioning among 77 males and 26 females was measured by a confidence test (Echternacht, Boldt, & Sellman, 1971) designed for the general knowledge subtest of the SRA Achievement Battery (Naslund, Thorpe, & Lefever, 1982). Knowledge base and group membership were significantly related to metacomponential ability (R2 = .84). Persons with HIQLD and LIQLD performed better than those with MMR on both measures. The HIQLD, however, did not outperform their peers with NA. Results show that (a) knowledge base is the best predictor of metacomponential skill, (b) metacomponential orchestration differentiates persons with HIQLD from those with LIQLD and both groups from persons with MMR, and (c) IQ mediates metacognition, but does not explain it. Education should emphasize knowledge acquisition for people with HIQLD; people with LIQLD and MMR require more attention to metacognition.
The Effectiveness of a Multisensory Alphabetic Phonetic Approach With College Students Who Are Learning Disabled
Authors: Guyer Barbara Priddy , Sabatino David
Published: December 2008

College students diagnosed as learning disabled were studied to determine whether they would make more progress in a summer program if taught by an adaptation of the Orton-Gillingham (O-G) approach. Progress of those exposed to this approach was compared to progress of those exposed to (a) a nonphonetic approach or (b) no educational activity. Pre- and posttest results are reported for the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised and Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests. The subjects were 30 college students aged 17 to 24, who were diagnosed as LD. They were divided into groups of 10 and exposed to the indicated educational intervention. The O-G group was found to achieve statistically significant improvement in reading when compared to the group using the nonphonetic approach or no educational activity. No statistically significant difference was noted between the latter two groups. This study indicates that a modified O-G approach is useful in the teaching of reading to college students who are LD.
The Influence of Level of Discrepancy on the Identification of Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: McLeskey James
Published: December 2008

This study investigated the relationship between a statistically determined severe discrepancy between expected and actual achievement levels and subsequent labeling of students with learning disabilities. Subjects were 733 students referred for possible special education services. The results demonstrate that while a slight majority of students who were determined to have learning disabilities manifested a severe discrepancy, much evidence exists to indicate that this criterion is inconsistently applied in making eligibility decisions. The implications of these findings for current practice are discussed.
Piagetian Cognitive Functioning in Students With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Riley Nancy J.
Published: December 2008

This study investigated the cognitive abilities as measured by the Inventory of Piaget's Developmental Tasks (IPDT) (Furth, 1970) of male and female fourth and fifth graders with learning disabilities. In addition, their cognitive abilities were compared to their reading and mathematics achievement, as measured by the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) (Dunn & Markwardt, 1970). A two-way analysis of covariance revealed a significant mean difference in cognitive ability between students with learning disabilities and nondisabled students. No significant differences existed in performance between males and females. Multiple regression showed that a linear combination of reading and mathematics achievement yielded a significant positive correlation to cognitive ability.
Assessing Differences in Children With Learning Disabilities and Normally Achieving Students With a New Measure of Creativity
Authors: Eisen Mitchell L.
Published: December 2008

This study investigates the creative abilities of children with learning disabilities by employing a new measure designed to assess creativity without the use of verbal or analytic skills. Sixteen normally performing and 16 children with learning disabilities were administered this task and a control task of verbal fluency. The children with learning disabilities scored significantly higher on the nonverbal but not the verbal control task.
A Homogeneous Group of Persons With Learning Disabilities
Authors: Minskoff Esther H. , Hawks Robin , Steidle Ernest F. , Hoffmann F. James
Published: December 2008

The results of a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment of adults having learning disabilities (LD) and participating in vocational rehabilitation are presented. The subjects were found to have low-average general intelligence; lower verbal than performance IQs; attention, reasoning, and auditory memory deficits; academic achievement at the fourth-/fifth-grade level; language problems; and low self-esteem. These results were contrasted with other studies of adults with LD in vocational rehabilitation, and all studies on this population reported similar findings. A comparison of studies of adults with LD who were clients of vocational rehabilitation with those in college or employed and with those who had been labeled as learning disabled in childhood indicated that the adults with LD in vocational rehabilitation seem to constitute a homogeneous group of persons with severe deficits. The need to subtype learning disabilities by severity and criteria for making such determinations are proposed.
The Regular Education Initiative and Opinions of Regular Classroom Teachers
Authors: Coates Robert D.
Published: December 2008

The Regular Education Initiative (REI) has been gaining momentum. However, the movement has not escaped criticism. One of the criticisms is that regular classroom teachers' views regarding many of the beliefs or assumptions of the REI are unknown. The present study was undertaken to provide this type of data. Ninety-four regular classroom teachers in northwest Iowa were asked to agree or disagree with a series of statements on the REI position. The results showed general disagreement with the statements, suggesting that the respondents do not share similar concerns or beliefs regarding the current delivery of special education services. Implications of the results with respect to implementation of the REI are discussed.
A Cultural Perspective and the Second Wave of Educational Reform
Authors: Welch Marshall
Published: December 2008

A prerequisite call for understanding the culture of the school as well as the processes of change that are associated with the innovations brought by the new wave of educational reform is presented in this article. The school as a culture, variables of receptivity to change within the school culture, and the change process and its implications are examined.
Written Expression of Students With and Without Learning Disabilities
Authors: Houck Cherry K. , Billingsley Bonnie S.
Published: December 2008

This study compares the written expression of 48 students with learning disabilities (LD) and 48 normally achieving (NA) students (Grades 4, 8, and 11). Productivity, syntactic maturity, vocabulary, and mechanics were examined using writing samples obtained in response to a standard stimulus. Results indicate that, compared to their NA peers, students with learning disabilities write fewer words and sentences, write more words per sentence, produce fewer words with seven letters or more and fewer sentence fragments, and have a higher percentage of capitalization and spelling errors. No group differences were found for the number of T-units produced or the number of morphemes per T-unit. Comparison of group differences at each grade level and differences by groups across the grades reveals persistent written expression difficulties and signals a need for a careful review of current instructional practices and how they can be improved.
A Rural-Based Transition Model for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Demonstration
Authors: Rojewski Jay W.
Published: December 2008

This article presents a project that provides and coordinates transition services to high school students with learning disabilities. The Central Nebraska Goodwill Industries Transition Model is a four-phase process initiated during the freshman year of high school. Involvement begins with assessment and evaluation activities that culminate in the development of a transition planning component to the Individualized Education Plan. A variety of service providers offer assistance to satisfy identified transition needs. Unique features of this model include the development of a regional transition advisory council, personal growth groups for participants, and a private, nonprofit rehabilitation center as the coordinator of transition services.
Visual Persistence and Adult Dyslexia
Authors: Winters Roberta L. , Patterson Robert , Shontz William
Published: December 2008

Visual persistence was investigated in adults with and without dyslexia in order to determine whether the adults with dyslexia demonstrate problems similar to those found in childhood dyslexia. Using a temporal separation threshold measure and procedures derived from signal detection theory, sensitivity to sequentially presented form information was determined for the two types of adults. The results showed that the sensitivity of the adults with dyslexia was impaired relative to that of the nondisabled adults when parts of a test stimulus were presented to adjacent retinal areas. This result suggests that, under certain conditions, visual persistence is longer for adults with dyslexia. The results are discussed within the context of a recent theory of dyslexia (Lovegrove, Martin, & Slaghuis, 1986) that incorporates the operation of sustained and transient visual mechanisms.
Visual and Auditory Coding Confusability in Students With and Without Learning Disabilities
Authors: Hardy Bettie W. , McIntyre Curtis W. , Brown Alan S. , North Alvin J.
Published: December 2008

The nature of visual and auditory coding processes in students with learning disabilities (SLDs) and student controls (SCs) was examined with a letter-matching task on four types of successively presented letter pairs: identical (A, A), visually confusable (P, R), auditorily confusable (F, S), and neither visually nor auditorily confusable (H, T). Two delay intervals (0 and 2 seconds) were used between the presentation of the first and second letters. Analysis of decision latencies on the nonidentical letter pair trials revealed that with initial exposure to the task, the SLDs responded more slowly than SCs, but their general confusability patterns (visual and auditory) were similar. With additional practice, overall decision latencies were comparable for the two groups, while confusability differences emerged: SCs showed maximal visual confusability at a 0-second delay and maximal auditory confusability at a 2-second delay, while SLDs did not. Evidently, SLDs make less extensive use of visual and auditory coding processes compared to SCs.
The Social Status of Children with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Stone Wendy L. , La Greca Annette M.
Published: December 2008

Although the low social status of children with learning disabilities (LD) has been well documented, little is known about the specific types of peer status problems that characterize these children. The present study utilized current sociometric procedures in order to clarify the nature of social status difficulties encountered by children with LD. Consistent with previous studies, results revealed that children with LD obtain significantly lower sociometric scores relative to their nondisabled peers. Moreover, children with LD were found to be disproportionately overrepresented in the rejected and neglected sociometric groups, and underrepresented in the popular and average groups. Over half of the total LD sample was classified into one of the low status categories, with approximately equal numbers in the rejected and neglected groups. Implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Identifying Children with Specific Reading Disabilities From Listening and Reading Discrepancy Scores
Authors: Spring Carl , French Lisa
Published: December 2008

A method of identifying children with specific reading disabilities by identifying discrepancies between their reading and listening comprehension scores was validated with disabled and nondisabled readers in Grades 4, 5, and 6. The method is based on a modification of the reading comprehension subtest of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (Dunn & Markwardt, 1970). In this modification, even-numbered sentences are read by subjects, and odd-numbered sentences are read by the test administrator as subjects listen. The features of this test that reduce demands on working memory, thereby making it suitable for the detection of a discrepancy between reading and listening comprehension in readers with disabilities, are discussed. A significant group-by-modality interaction was obtained. Children with reading disabilities scored significantly lower on reading than on listening comprehension, while nondisabled readers scored slightly higher, but not significantly so, on reading than on listening comprehension. The appropriateness of this method as a substitute for the traditional method, which is based on the detection of a discrepancy between intelligence and reading and which has recently been proscribed in certain school districts, is discussed. Issues concerning the listening comprehension skills of disabled readers are also discussed.