bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Programs, Materials And Techniques
Authors: Bannaryne Alex
Published: December 2008

TheSchool-Community Program In Early Childhood Development takes first place this month. It is a well devised and executed program which other school districts may wish to follow—to save both children and money. Allen Toronto's Screening Test of Spanish Grammar will help teachers of Spanish speaking children. The25000 Electro-Tach tachistoscope may find a place in those organizations that use machines of this type. TheDictionary of Behavioral Science is one of the best reference books I have yet encountered; it provides a very useful resolution to the problem of interdisciplinary language barriers in one single volume. Margaret Doren'sDiagnostic Reading Test of Word Recognition Skills is an eye opener for those who think of reading words as a relatively simple process. Its value is not just as a test but also as a source of information on the anatomy of words. I have written some notes on that elusive subject, perception, in the hope that the term will be used a little more accurately in the literature. Hannah Miller adds her review of the film,Learning Disabilities.
Word-Pair Discrimination And Imitation Abilities Of Preschool Spanish - Speaking Children
Authors: Evans Joyce Stewart
Published: December 2008

Auditory abilities, measured by wordpair discrimination and single word imitation, of economically disadvantaged native-Spanish-speaking preschool children were investigated in two languages, Spanish and English. In order to provide age-related comparative information, a group of nondisadvantaged, native-English speakers were evaluated on the same tasks. In spite of the dual problems of economic disadvantage and second language learning, these children were not significantly different from their advantaged English-speaking peers in total performance on the four tasks. In addition, the Spanish speakers made less errors in their native language than did the English speakers. Thus, previously hypothesized negative effects of poverty or of linguistic interference do not appear to be depressing auditory performance. A descriptive analysis of errors indicates directions for educational programs in the area of auditory training for preschool bilingual programs.
The Organic Psychosyndrome of Early Childhood and Its Effects on Learning
Authors: Lievens Paul
Published: December 2008

A psychological and pedagogic study was made of a group of children between the ages of 7 and 12 years in whom the only abnormal feature in the case history was neonatal cerebral effects. There were no obvious neurological sequelae, adverse effects from the family environment, or any general retardation. Many different anomalies of function were observed, which caused learning problems in three specific areas: inadequacy of attention, inadequacy of motor control and inadequacy of emotional and thymic control. These were manifested in difficulties in the integration of inner experiences and problems in the development of a stable personality and cognitive and affective structures, despite the normality of the family environment.
Early School Screening Practices
Authors: Maitland Suzanne , E. Nadeau J. B. , Nadeau Gretchen
Published: December 2008

To ascertain the prevalence of early school screening practices, the specific tests employed, and the use made of the test results, a survey was conducted of a representative sample of school districts in the United States. Responses indicated that a majority of districts do screen, and there is great variability in the measures they employ. Although there are many published measures for kindergarten and first grade, only the Metropolitan Readiness Tests are used by a high percentage of school districts. Tests given at the end of the kindergarten year are most often used for determining first grade placement; tests given at the beginning of the kindergarten or first grade year are used equally often to individualize instruction.
Auditory and Visual Evoked Responses in Children with Familial Reading Disabilities
Authors: Weber Bruce A. , Omenn Gilbert S.
Published: December 2008

Amplitudes of auditory and visual evoked responses from right and left hemispheres were compared in subjects from three families having more than one person with reading problems. Contrary to expectations, the dyslexic members of these families did not demonstrate a flattening of the evoked responses over the left hemisphere Furthermore, there were no differences between dyslexic and normal members of the same family. Investigation of dyslexic children from 18 additional families also demonstrated no systematic alteration of the evoked responses over the left hemisphere. Although some degree of hemispheric asymmetry cannot be ruled out completely, measurement of evoked responses appears to have little diagnostic value, at present, in the evaluation of individual children or families.
Auditory Perceptual Test Performance and the Reflection-Impulsivity Dimension
Authors: Margolis Howard
Published: December 2008

The relationship between auditory perceptual test performance and Kagan's Reflection-Impulsivity Dimension was explored with the influence of response-time-free verbal and nonverbal intelligence controlled statistically. Subjects were 44 white, middle-class, kindergarten children. Regardless of whether response-time-free verbal or nonverbal IQ was controlled, significant differences in favor of the reflective children were found on those auditory perceptual instruments manifesting definite response uncertainty. Significant differences between the reflective and impulsive groups were not obtained on the low response uncertainty instrument or on the slight-to-moderate response uncertainty instrument when nonverbal intelligence was held constant. On the whole, the findings support Kagan's theory of reflection-impulsivity which states that impulsive subjects will likely make more incorrect responses than their reflective peers in situations of response uncertainty.
Coming Face to Face with the Impersonal Numbers Game
Authors: Ringelheim Late Daniel
Published: December 2008

Daniel Ringelheim, who died early in February, was the director of the Aid to States division of the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped (HEW). In this position, he directed the division which administers grants and supports state programs to educate handicapped children. His duties also required his working closely with state agencies in an effort to obtain compliance with the new Education for All Handicapped Children Act. It was also in his division that the formulation and final drafting of the LD regulations were accomplished. After the final regulations had been written, Ringelheim talked to the Journal of Learning Disabilities. A fast-moving, enjoyable conversation ensued that provided a glimpse not only of the realities behind the new regulations but also of Ringelheim's enormous energy and intelligence. As a governmental administrator for years, he well understood bureaucratic realities though he dealt with them in a delightful, open manner. Such personal integrity will be sincerely missed. —G.M.S.
Paradigmatic Language Training for Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Cartelli Lora M.
Published: December 2008

In last month's Journal, Suiter and Potter demonstrated that like normals, LD children use categories to organize material for recall. Similarly, this article shows that LD children can benefit from preorganized material and that the positive effects are not lost soon after teaching, as is often reported in clinical observations of LD children. These studies may suggest avenues of strength—avenues differing in their conceptual level as opposed to their modality — which can be used in the teaching process. — G.M.S.

The effect that training paradigmatic language structures has upon the reading process is investigated with LD children. The effects of intelligence, special training, and training over time were analyzed in a pretest-posttest control group design. Findings reveal that paradigmatic thought products are both testable and teachable structures and are inherent in both oral and written communication. Children who received training made rapid and positive gains on all criterion measures, and gains were residual over time. It appears that the ability to manipulate and apply paradigmatic operations has a favorable effect upon the understanding of written language and helps LD children to process and organize information.
Error Monitoring of Schoolwork by Learning Disabled Adolescents
Authors: Deshler Donald D. , Ferrell William R. , Kass Corrine E.
Published: December 2008

Considerable current research and theory regarding learning disabilities concern the role of possible attentional deficits. Critical among the many sources of information in the learning situation is the correctness of the learner's own response — monitoring one's own errors provides the basis for their elimination. Using a sophisticated research paradigm, described in some detail, the authors examine how learning disabled children notice their own errors compared to the process used by their normal-learning peers. — G.M.S.

Monitoring on some school-related tasks (editing, writing, spelling, and synonyms) was studied in learning disabled and normal adolescents. Signal detection was used to conceptualize the monitoring process. While learning disabled and normal students appeared to use similar and appropriate criteria for detecting errors in externally generated material, the learning disabled students were less willing to call an element an error in material they produced themselves. It is suggested that external monitoring done by the teacher while the student is doing his work teaches monitoring better than correcting errors after the work is completed.
The Assessment of Children with Learning Problems
Authors: Ozer Mark N.
Published: December 2008

Planning and evaluating the success of short-term objectives can too easily be overlooked due to the demands that surround IEP construction. Rather than increase teacher dependence on evaluation teams and their diagnostic findings, the author proposes a planning process designed to enhance individual problem-solving. — G.M.S.

The role of the special resource teacher is redefined as that of a consultant to the classroom teacher in increasing the teacher's awareness of his or her own problem-solving experiences with the referred child. A specified planning process emphasizing what has been accomplished and what has been effective is carried out. The product of this ongoing staff development program is greater participation by the classroom teacher in writing plans and greater awareness of the process of problem solving itself. This process of independent problem solving may then be transferred to the child.
An Intensive Therapeutic Program for Learning Disabled Prepubertal Children
Authors: West Malcolm , Carlin Myrna , Deshler Beverly Baserman , Milstein Maxine
Published: December 2008

This article contends that intervention in learning problems should be twofold. First, the child's attitudes toward both himself and learning need to be reworked. Second, remediation to amehorate specific learning deficits is required. Traditionally, these two aspects have been carried out by two different professionals, the psychologist and the teacher. The present article describes a program that has attempted to synthesize these functions into one composite helping role. A case example is offered to illustrate the approach.
Distraction as a Function of Within-Task Stimulation for Hyperactive and Normal Children
Authors: Zentall Sydney S. , Zentali Thomas R. , Barack Robin C.
Published: December 2008

Research indicates that increased distal and especially peripheral environmental stimulation does not distract the hyperactive child but may actually have a facilitative effect on performance. Increased within-task stimulation, however, has been found to be disruptive, but these studies have generally confounded increased stimulation with increased task complexity (by increasing the number of competing cues). The present study sought to assess task performance of hyperactive and normal children with and without within-task color, holding task complexity constant. Using a repeated-measures design performance was measured on four tasks: two visual-motor drawing tasks, one visual-concentration task, and a combined visual-motor and visual-concentration task. Error analyses indicated generally poorer performance by hyperactives than by normals, and contrary to prediction, on two of the tasks hyperactives performed better without color than with. Hyperactives tended to perform faster than normals on the visual-motor tasks but performed slower than normals on tasks involving visual concentration. Implications of results and related evidence suggest (1) locus of added stimulation may be important in determining effects on performance, and (2) impulsivity or response speed may be unrelated to performance problems of hyperactive children.
The Neuropsychology of Reading Disorders, Part II
Authors: Gaddes William H.
Published: December 2008

This is the continuation of a detailed review of the book, The Neuropsychology of Learning Disorders (University Park Press, 1976), edited by R.M. Knights and D.J. Bakker. Part I appeared in the November issue of the Journal. Each chapter of the book represents an original paper presented at the first International NATO Conference on Learning Disabilities held in 1975 in Kørsor, Denmark. Presented by researchers from both Europe and North America, the papers reviewed in this second part cover problem areas of genetic and maturational variables and cerebral dominance and provide some research models. A concluding chapter by Spreen provides an evaluative summary of the knowledge of the field as reflected by these papers and the essential aspects of it which were omitted.
Dichotic Listening and Bisensory Memory Skills in Qualitatively Diverse Dyslexic Readers
Authors: Obrzut John E.
Published: December 2008

Dichotic listening and bisensory memory skills were investigated in 144 male middle-class second-grade (N=72) and fourth-grade (N=72) readers. Subjects were classified according to the Boder system, which distinguishes among normal and three types of dyslexic readers: dysphonetic (auditory dyslexic), dyseidetic (visual dyslexic), and alexic (combined). Results of the dichotic (recall of simultaneous auditory stimuli) and bisensory (recall of simultaneous visual and auditory stimuli) tasks indicated that normal and dyseidetic readers were able to attend, store, and retrieve stimuli at both grades and experimental rates of stimulus presentation better than alexic or dysphonetic readers. Ear asymmetry, as measured by dichotic right-ear advantage, did not discriminate normal from dyslexic groups. The greater task inability of the alexic and dysphonetic groups may be reflective of their difficulty in processing linguistic (left hemisphere) and spatial (right hemisphere) information that is basic to the reading process. The overall results suggest that remediation may be more difficult to implement with certain types of problem readers than with others.
Minor Physical Anomalies in Exceptional Children
Authors: Hilsheimer George von , Kurko Virginia
Published: December 2008

Increasing attention is being paid to biological causes of learning disabilities, and many studies have been mode associating minor physical anomalies (MPAs) with disease, hyperkinesis in boys, and hypokinesis in girls. In an examination of 1,046 children, low-income children had more MPAs than those from middle-income, while middle income children with behavior disorders had as many MPAs as low-income pupils. Learning disabilities and emotional illness were associated with increasing MPAs. Nutrition, pollution, and disease may play a larger role in the etiology of learning disabilities than has been fashionable to assume. A high count of MPAs should suggest the involvement of subclinical disease in any learning disability.
The Reagan Presidency
Authors: Iannaccone Laurence
Published: December 2008

“…. the 1980 realignment election will have durable consequences in the transformation of the general shape of the national policy agenda ahead. The political conflicts of the next era will be organized around the issues of that agenda. And I do not believe that education will occupy a salient place on that agenda.”
A Review of Involvement Programs for Parents of Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Shapero Susan , Forbes C. Rebecca
Published: December 2008

The literature on involvement programs for parents of learning disabled children was reviewed to discover the types of programs attempted, their results, and their implications. The most common program types were tutoring and counseling. Results for both types were generally positive. The most effective counseling programs combined counseling with academic tutoring and/or praise for academic performance. Effective tutoring programs combined positive reinforcement with reading and/or perceptual skills. The studies reviewed support the value of parent involvement. Implications include the need for stronger experimental research, comparison studies between tutoring and counseling programs, more efficient evaluation, and follow-up studies.
A Comprehensive Approach to Assessment and Treatment of Severe Developmental Speech and Language Disorders
Authors: Weber J. L. , Kushnir W. V. , Weber S. E.
Published: December 2008

A comprehensive approach to assessment and treatment of severe developmental speech and language disorders is discussed based on clinical experience with 69 children between 2 1/2 and 7 years of age. Assessment involves the integration of many variables, including differentiation between linguistic competence versus performance, diagnosis, familial and environmental factors, and pragmatics. A framework is presented that distinguishes therapy goals from therapy styles. The three possible goals are elimination or alleviation of causal factors, increase of interpersonal language interaction, and treatment of specific linguistic problems. These goals can be achieved within the context of three possible therapy styles: structured formal therapy, directed stimulation in play, and free play. The decision regarding choice of goals and styles is based on an integrative assessment, with the result that the treatment plan is appropriately designed for each individual.
Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Visual Perceptual Skills and Reading Achievement
Authors: Kavale Kenneth
Published: December 2008

A review of research examines the relationship between visual perceptual skills and reading achievement using meta-analysis to integrate statistically the results from 161 studies. A total of 1,571 correlation coefficients were collected and aggregated across eight visual perceptual skills, six reading abilities, three grade levels, and three subject groups. Additionally, a correlation matrix was constructed and used for a factor analysis, cannonical correlation analysis, and step-wise multiple regression analysis descriptive of the relationship among and between visual perceptual skills, intelligence, and reading achievement variables. The findings suggested that visual perception is an important correlate of reading achievement, but the proportion of explained variance in reading skills was contingent on the combination of visual and reading variables considered. It was concluded that visual perceptual skills should be included in the complex of factors predictive of reading achievement.
A Closer Look at Three Measures of English Morphology
Authors: Weber Ronald L.
Published: December 2008

Three measures of morphology are individually explained and compared. These include the Berry-Talbott Comprehension of Grammar, the Grammatic Closure subtest of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, and the Grammatic Completion subtest of the Test of Language Development. A discussion of each test's reliability, scoring procedures, format, and types of scores is presented. An item analysis of the specific morphological forms tested by each instrument also is provided. A major limitation, scoring guideline for speakers of nonstandard English, is discussed.
A Field Test of a Procedure for Identifying Learning Disability
Authors: Kass Corrine E. , Lewis Rena B. , Havertape John F. , Maddux Cleborne D. , Horvath Michael J. , Swift Carole A.
Published: December 2008

An identification procedure based on a developmental model of learning disability was tested against public school placement of children in services for the learning disabled. Discriminant analyses indicated that the subtests chosen for hypothesized age-related deficits (from ages 7 through 16 classified from 77% to 89% of the cases as compared with the school district's selection. Our battery for ages 4 to 7 did not discriminate well. An application of the procedure is given in the article. The authors do not suggest that the tests used in this procedure are the best ones necessarily, but the procedure could be tested with other instruments.
The Effects of Megadoses of Selected B Complex Vitamins on Children with Hyperkinesis
Authors: Brenner Arnold
Published: December 2008

One hundred children with hyperkinesis and cerebral dysfunction were given individual three-day trials of pharmacologic doses of thiamin, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine, and placebo. When beneficial response was noted, a second week-long trial of vitamins was given, alternating with placebo, followed by long-term therapy. Two-thirds of the remaining children not responding to this schedule were then given pharmacologic doses of niacinamide, combinations of B-complex vitamins, or elimination diets.

Eight children dramatically responded to pharmacologic doses of thiamin, of which four still require the vitamin either intermittently or continuously after four years. Nine children responded to 300 mg of pyridoxine; an additional 5 patients responded only after receiving larger doses. Only one child could be maintained on placebo.

In subsequent trials, 11 responded to niacin or to combinations of B-complex vitamins with minerals. In a two-year follow-up, six children who had demonstrated no beneficial response to these clinical trials had spontaneously improved. Eight children responded to dietary manipulations alone.

Half the children found to be “dependent” on pharmacological doses of thiamin worsened with administration of B6. Conversely, half of the pyridoxine responders worsened when given large doses of thiamin. Blood zinc levels dropped substantially with administration of pyridoxine.

The experience suggests that the hyperkinetic cerebral dysfunction syndrome is multifactoral. A significant number are caused by vitamin deficiency or pharmacologic dependency.
Another Look at Task Analysis
Authors: Hughes Selma
Published: December 2008

An overview of approaches to task analysis is presented together with suggestions for alternative approaches that the teacher may consider.
Delinquency and Learning Disabilities
Authors: Wilgosh L. , Paitich D.
Published: December 2008

The article adds to the growing body of data establishing a relationship between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency. Intervention strategies are discussed.
A Social Worker's Role With Mothers of Language Disordered Preschool Children
Authors: Kornblum Helen
Published: December 2008

A social worker's role with language disordered preschool children is described. The problems of a child with a severe language impairment exist in an interpersonal setting. The mother-child relationship is affected. Through participation in a group, the mothers increased their understanding of the emotional development of their children within the context of specific language problems. The mothers also were helped to cope with their personal feelings and reactions to their handicapped children.
A Language Skills Program for Secondary LD Students
Authors: Howe Bill
Published: December 2008

A program was developed to increase the receptive and expressive language skills of secondary learning disabled students. Emphasis is on reading, writing, and listening skills. Thirty-one students (23 males and 8 females)---all LD except for 7 (4 males and 3 females)---had a baseline mean reading level of 3.2 as measured by the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests at level R. After one year the group mean was 5.1. For the 19 students (all LD) enrolled in the program for 2 years, the mean rose to 6.3. The entire program is applicable to two delivery systems---resource room and self-contained with integration.
Vertical Word Processing
Authors: Trembley Phillip W.
Published: December 2008

Axioms exist in the field of reading instruction that can discourage the development of novel approaches. It is felt that rapid success in teaching the learning disabled to read and write only can take place when the instruction deals with the frustration-produced anxiety that results from an accumulation of failure. Nonassumptive teaching, rather than a diagnostic-prescriptive approach, is proposed as a method to remove frustration-produced anxiety. A novel approach to the teaching of both reading and writing that is nonassumptive is presented here. The approach is called Vertical Word Processing and involves controlling the vowel from the simplest word constructions to the most difficult of orthographic constructions. The teaching strategies discussed are based on a model of the English language that views most words as regular (categorical)—some more regular (categorical) than others.
Persistent Auditory Language Deficits in Adults with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Blalock Jane W.
Published: December 2008

To the casual observer, learning disabled adults' oral language appears adequate. When they enter college, heavy demands are placed on both receptive and expressive oral language abilities, but typically only reading and written language abilities are assessed. Dr. Blalock describes below the auditory processing, receptive, and expressive language deficits she found in her study of 80 LD adults and how they themselves observed the effects of these deficits on their performance in a variety of settings; academic, social, and vocational. Because oral language is not evaluated consistently in LD adults entering college LD programs, her findings have significant implications for assessment and program development at the college level if inroads are to be made in the improvement of the most severe and widespread deficit in LD adults, namely, the deficit in written language.

Of 80 young adults diagnosed as having learning disabilities, 63 were found to have oral language and/or auditory processing deficits. These problems included deficits in auditory discrimination, comprehension, memory, auditory recall, oral formulation, and pronunciation of multisyllabic words. Problems in metalinguistic abilities were seen most frequently. These residual auditory deficits were reported to interfere with social and vocational functioning as well as with academic performance.
Learning Disabilities
Authors: Cruickshank William M.
Published: December 2008

Due to space limitations this paper will consist of the essential elements in a definition and of my long-standing point of view regarding learning disabilities. A complete statement and an expansion of this article can be found in W. M. Cruickshank, “Learning Disabilities: A Definitional Statement,” Chapter 6, pp. 80-110; and “Learning Disabilities: Perceptual or Other?” Chapter 7, pp. 111-122, both in W. M. Cruickshank, Selected Writings: Learning Disabilities, (Vol. 2). Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1981.
Once Is Not Enough
Authors: Ryckman David B. , Elrod G. Franklin
Published: December 2008

Bannatyne (1968, 1971, 1974) has proposed recategorizing Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) subtest scores into three subgroups. His findings have fostered research in an attempt to determine a unique profile attributable to learning disabled children. The present investigation used two samples of LD children (N = 208) and showed five subgroups of LD children within Bannatyne's recategorization paradigm. The implications of this investigation would suggest that potential intragroup variation within an LD population could be masked in the attempt to discern a more homogeneous single diagnostic profile. Recognition of this intragroup wariation could greatly enhance the use of diagnostic instruments in development remediation programs.
Cognitive Development and Cognitive Style
Authors: Cherkes Miriam
Published: December 2008

This study was designed to examine (a) whether the process of formulating transitive inferences is either a spatial or a linguistic process, but not both, (b) whether transitivity develops from a spatial to a linguistic process as a function of cognitive growth, (c) whether the transitivity process varies according to individual preferences for and abilities or disabilities with spatial as opposed to linguistic reasoning, and (d) the effect of specific task characteristics on the processing of a transitivity problem. Subjects were learning disabled children aged 7, 9, 11, and 13. All subjects, regardless of age, received highest scores on tasks involving linguistic input. There was no evidence of a developmental shift from spatial into linguistic reasoning. At ages 7, 9, and 11 there was no evidence of process preferences. At age 13 some evidence was found for the influence of cognitive style preference. Implications for the relationship between cognitive development and cognitive style are discussed.
Toward a Behavioral Model of Academic Remediation with Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Treiber Frank A. , Lahey Benjamin B.
Published: December 2008

One of the more rapidly developing approaches to the remediation of academic deficiencies in learning disabled children involves the use of behavioral technology in the direct instruction of academic skills. In this topical review, Treiber and Lahey discuss the essential characteristics of a behavioral approach to intervention and then examine some of the evidence that supports use of the approach with learning disabled children. Although the review is essentially positive, the authors do point out that we need much more research on the long-term effectiveness of behavioral approaches to remediation. A final contribution of this paper is the presentation of a model for developing new interventions that may serve as a useful guide to teachers and researchers alike.—JKT
A Day in the Resource Room with a Minicomputer
Authors: Goodman Eileen
Published: December 2008

This article describes a day spent in a learning Disabilities Resource Room with children in first through sixth grades. As their teacher, I used a personal microcomputer and no commercial software. The computer offers many advantages and rewards for children with learning disabilities. When employed in combination with more traditional teaching techniques, it will serve as a source of rewards for and reinforcement of paper and pencil tasks, provide increased motivation, and allow the children to develop competency with computers. A whole world of new possibilities for work with LD children is being revealed with the advent of computers.
Visual and Auditory Matching in Learning Disabled and Normal Children
Authors: Zendel I. H. , Pihl R. O.
Published: December 2008

The present study was carried out to evaluate whether learning disabled children have difficulty making intersensory and intrasensory matches relative to normal controls. Also evaluated was whether a single psychological process accounted for performance in these tasks and whether the observed relationship was similar for LD and normal children. It was found that although LD children did more poorly than normal children at these tasks, the psychological processes related to performance were, with one exception, similar between groups. A single factor did not emerge to explain integration performance. Differences in the factor structure of the performance tests of the two groups were also found, although anomalies in the factor structure of the performance tests in the LD disabled group may relate to their matching deficits.
Pupil Attendance in Resource Rooms as one Measure of the Time on Task Variable
Authors: Sullivan Paula D. , McDaniel Elizabeth A.
Published: December 2008

According to the literature, pupil attendance appears to be related positively to pupil achievement, and in special education the amount of instructional time pupils need is specified in the individual educational plan. The authors of this study investigated the attendance of pupils scheduled to receive special education resource room instruction. They found that 22% of resource room contacts were missed. Of this 22%, 10% of the contacts were missed because students were absent from school; 6% were missing because of other school activities; and 6% because the resource rooms were closed.
Teaching Learning Disabled Children to Memorize
Authors: Gelzheiser Lynn M. , Solar Roberta A. , Shepherd Margaret Jo , Wozniak Robert H.
Published: December 2008

A great deal has been written recently about the relative difficulties that learning disabled children manifest in using efficient study or problem-solving strategies. Some studies have also suggested that it may be relatively easy to train these children to use more efficient strategies and thus improve their performance on specific tasks. However, this month's Topical Review shows why such training, if it is to achieve a general increase in learning efficiency, may actually be very difficult. An appreciation of the factors that underlie this difficulty can contribute to the development of effective approaches to helping learning disabled children become more efficient learners.—J.K.T.
Steps Before the Referral
Authors: Gerardi Robert J. , Coolidge Paula G.
Published: December 2008

A survey of two elementary schools showed that the most frequent reason for the referral of learning disabled children to a resource room was due to behavior problems. The authors suggest that there should be a preventive program for behavior problems before they are referred for an evaluation and placement in a special setting. This preventive program should include, but not be limited to: workshops directed toward behavior modification techniques for classroom teachers; affective training in the classroom; a Parents' Discussion Night directed toward the emotional development of the child; in-service courses for all elementary teachers; and evaluation of the program through record keeping/graphing, use of outside evaluators, a teacher exchange program, and a teacher questionnaire to determine effectiveness of the program.
Predicting School Readiness
Authors: Wood Chip , Powell Sarah , Knight R. Chris
Published: December 2008

The present study is an examination of the predictive validity of the Gesell School Readiness Screening Test. Test results obtained by certified examiners of 84 kindergarten-age children were compared with subsequent school successes or “special needs” designations. The study found that the Gesell procedure is effective in predicting child success or failure in Kindergarten and that within the range of 4 to 6 years the chronological age of children entering Kindergarten is unrelated to eventual success or failure in kindergarten. Developmental age, as measured by the Gesell Examination, provides a useful predictive measurement of later school performance.
Mainstreaming or Mainlining
Authors: Salend Spencer J. , Lutz J. Gary
Published: December 2008

This study identified the social skill competencies a mainstreamed student should possess in order to function successfully in the regular classroom. Regular and special elementary level educators completed a 36-item questionnaire that asked them to rate their perception as to whether or not a specific social skill was critical for success in the mainstream setting. Based upon the results of this study, three general social skill areas and 15 competencies were identified. Differences between regular and special educators and primary and intermediate level teachers were identified.
Pattern Analysis of an Actuarial Strategy for Computerized Diagnosis of Childhood Exceptionality
Authors: Hale Robert L. , McDermott Paul A.
Published: December 2008

The construct and predictive validity of a computerized diagnostic decision-making system, known as multidimensional actuarial classification (MAC), is investigated through a unique pattern analysis procedure. The MAC diagnostic system applies a series of actuarial decision rules to differentially classify children's mental retardation, learning disabilities, academic achievement problems, social and behavioral maladjustment, and other related disorders. Using a selected set of the decision routines available through MAC, the computerized system was used to classify 200 children referred for psychological services. A cross-products agreement matrix was constructed from the resultant multidimensional classifications produced for each child and was subjected thereafter to factor pattern analysis. Seven distinct and recognizable patterns emerged, supporting the verity and utility of the systems-actuarial approach to classification of child exceptionality. Moreover, pattern scores indicating the extent of children's similarity to the classification pattern named learning disability were found to be significantly good predictors of the actual severity of learning impairment.
Dimensions, Levels and Reliabilities on the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale With Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Paget Kathleen D. , Reynolds Cecil R.
Published: December 2008

The factor structure of the Revised-Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale was investigatedfor a sample of 106 children attending public school classes for the learning disabled. Coefficients of congruence and Cattell's salient variable similarity index were determinedfor the five factors and the general anxiety factor that had emerged in the normative sample and the factors from the LD sample. Strong support Was found for for the existence ofthree of the original subscale factors (Physiological, Concentration and Lie I) and the General Anxiety (Ag) factor for the LD children. Several of the factors showed significant alteration based on responses of the LD children. The mean performance of theLD children on Total Anxiety, Worry, Concentration and Total Lie was significantly higher than that of the normative sample. Internal consistency data are reported, and implications of the findings are discussed.
Academic and Cognitive Interventions for LD Adolescents
Authors: Deshler Donald D. , Schumaker Jean B. , Lenz B. Keith , Ellis Edwin
Published: December 2008

This is the second of two articles focusing on a review of the academic and cognitive interventions available for LD adolescents. In “Academic and Cognitive Interventions: Part I,” an argument was presented that because of the complex needs of LD adolescents it is important to develop an intervention model that is suficiently comprehensive to impact these students. A further contention was made that such an intervention model would be composed of a number of components. In Part I, reviews of three of these components (motivation, instructional practices for promoting general skill acquisition, and instructional practices for enhancing the generalization and maintenance of skills) were presented. The purpose of this article is to discuss four additional components that would be needed in a comprehensive intervention model for LD adolescents. Specifically, the literature will be reviewed regarding a curriculum or content component, a communications component, a transition component, and an evaluation component. Again, since the existing body of research in the field of secondary learning disabilities relative io academic and cognitive interventions is in its infancy, these reviews will, in places, focus on recommended research instead of on actual findings.
On the Generality of the Short-Term Memory-Reading Ability Relationship
Authors: Cohen Ronald L. , Netley Charles , Clarke Melissa A.
Published: December 2008

Four groups of children were tested with a serial short term memory (STM) task. Three of the groups were matched in IQ and age, but differed in reading ability from reading-disabled to reading-superior. The fourth group consisted of competent readers matched in IQ with the other three groups, but two years younger than the other children. The STM data showed that (1) differences between the groups were confined mainly to the recall of recency items; (2) within the three older groups, the superior readers were superior to the competent readers, who in turn were superior to the disabled readers; (3) the younger competent readers were superior to the older disabled readers, in spite of the similarity in their reading test scores. These data are discussed both in terms of their implications for physiological approaches to the STM/reading relationship and for the possible causal nature of the relationship.
Immediate Memory Functions of Verbally Deficient Reading-Disabled Children
Authors: Lindgren Scott D. , Richman Lynn C.
Published: December 2008

Two groups of children (ages 8 and 12) with reading disabilities and verbal deficits were given a memory-for-colors task designed to evaluate intra- and intermodal serial memory functioning. The memory span of these children was compared to that of a group of age-matched normal controls. Eight-year-old verbally deficient reading-disabled children displayed intramodal (verbal-verbal) as well as intermodal (visual-verbal, verbal-visual) serial memory deficits. Twelve-year-old reading-disabled children displayed only verbal intramodal (verbal-verbal) deficits. The results suggest developmental differences in the relative influence of specific modalities in the immediate memory functions of these children, but emphasize the role of intramodal verbal factors across ages.
LDs' Expressions of Anxiety in Terms of Minor Somatic Complaints
Authors: Margalit M. , Raviv A.
Published: December 2008

The prevalence of the minor somatic complaints for learning-disabled children (N = 130) was compared to that of two control groups: normal (N = 559) and EMR children (N = 69). The learning-disabled children demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of complaints, but the extent of resulting absenteeism was lesser than that in regular schools. No significant differences was found in the prevalence of headaches and stomach-aches. Fatigue was more frequent for the learning-disabled group. Explanations of the phenomena in terms of the coping strategies of the learning-disabled children and an ecological model were suggested.
Cognitive Profile of Children Referred to a Clinic for Reading Disabilities
Authors: Harness B. Z. , Epstein Rachel , Gordon H. W.
Published: December 2008

Cognitive performance asymmetries in favor of functions attributed to the right cerebral hemisphere are reported for 105 out of 108 subjects referred to a clinic for reading difficulties. Children were referred by their parents, teachers, psychologists or doctors for diagnosis and treatment of reading difficulties in school. Virtually all subjects who were behind in reading—not explained by intelligence or opportunity factors—performed, on the average, better than the norm by about 0.50 S.D. on tests usually attributed to the right cerebral hemisphere and poorer than the norm by the same amount on tests attributed to the left cerebral hemisphere. The sample had four times as many males as females and reading retardation in females was only slightly greater Both overall performance as well as degree of asymmetry increased with parent education.

These results suggest that reading disabled children are homogeneous with at least the right/left asymmetry aspect of their cognitive profile. The consistent asymmetry further suggests that the concept of cognitive laterality, as well as the test instrument used here to measure it, may be of diagnostic value and be useful in the establishment of risk factors in a nonidentified population
Social Skills Assessment and Training for the Learning Disabled
Authors: Schumaker Jean B. , Hazel J. Stephen
Published: December 2008

This month's Topical Review is the first in a two-part series on the social skills of learning disabled children. In a field traditionally dominated by concerns about intellectual functioning, concern for the development of social skills in LD children has been sparked by data showing that skill deficiencies in this area are associated with poor long-term adjustment and success both in and out of the classroom. This two-part Review presents information about the social skills deficits of LD children, methods for assessing social skills, and treatment programs designed to ameliorate weaknesses in social skills. The first two of these topics are covered this month, while the last topic will be addressed in the next issue.--J.K.T.
There's More to a Reading Problem than Poor Reading
Authors: Gaskins Irene W.
Published: December 2008

Students who read poorly often have several problems in addition to poor reading which stand in the way of their school achievement. Thus, poor reading should not be treated as an isolated problem; rather, all roadblocks to a poor reader's academic success should be identified and a treatment plan devised which addresses both academic and nonacademic problems. Incidence of various academic and nonacademic roadblocks found in a population of poor readers is discussed, as well as some of the strategies that were used for overcoming the roadblocks.
Peer Relations in Children with Hyperactivity/Attention Deficit Disorder
Authors: Pelham William E. , Milich Richard
Published: December 2008

The first two of this year's Topical Reviews provided a primarily educational perspective on the social skills problems of learning disabled children. As a compliment to that perspective, this month's Topical Review, written by two clinical psychologists, discusses the identification and treatment of social/behavioral problems in hyperactive children. As is well known, hyperactive and learning disabled children have many difficulties in common, and disturbed social/peer relationships appear to be one of them. The present review discusses the potential causes of disturbed peer relationships in these children, as well as evaluating the relative effectiveness of behavioral, pharmacological, and educational treatments for them.

What is known and what needs to be known regarding the peer relationships of hyperactive children is reviewed. Hyperactive children, particularly those who are also aggressive, have serious disturbances in peer relations. Although several treatments have been investigated, no sufficient intervention has yet been discovered. Suggestions are offered for future studies of the nature, treatment, and predictive importance of these children's problems in peer relations.
Can the WPPSI be of Aid in Identifying Young Children at Risk for Reading Disability
Authors: Badian Nathlie A.
Published: December 2008

WPPSI and screening test scores of 72 children, who appeared at risk for learning disability at age 5, were examined 3 years later, on average. At follow-up there were 32 poor and 40 good readers. Both groups had average intelligence at age 5, and had received similar special help. Poor readers were superior in WPPSI Conceptual and Acquired Knowledge factors, and Verbal IQ. Good readers were superior only on five screening tests. Profiles were Conceptual>Spatial>Sequential for poor readers, and Spatial>Sequential>Conceptual for good readers. As abilities important in the acquisition of reading skills differ from those associated with later good reading, educators should not expect young high risk children to show the Spatial>Conceptual>Sequential profile, reported for older children with reading disability in WISC-R research. No boys who became poor readers showed this profile at age 5, although nearly half the small number of girls did.