bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Physician and Teacher as Team: Assessing the Effects of Medication
Authors: Scranton Thomas R. , Hajicek Joseph O. , Wolcott George J.
Published: December 2008

Although medication is often prescribed to enhance the learning potential of children, procedures for obtaining feedback from teachers on drug effectiveness have been largely ignored. The value of teachers' informal feedback to physicians has been limited due to its subjectivity. The procedures described represent one of a number of potential methods by which the teacher and physician can work as a team to provide the best drug dosage for each child. - G.M.S.
Imitating Children's Errors to Improve Their Spelling Performance
Authors: Kauffman James M. , Hallahan Daniel P. , Haas Kristina , Brame Tina , Boren Richard
Published: December 2008

Desiring to teach children responses, we have for many years used a variety of procedures that emphasize the right response — procedures that have recently come under research scrutiny. Imitating incorrect behavior, as opposed to reinforcing what is correct or repeating the correct response, intuitively appears counterproductive at first. While such a procedure may have specific limitations, it certainly appears to improve the children's spelling. The conditions that make this procedure work deserve attention. — G.M.S.
Selective Attention and Locus of Control in Learning Disabled and Normal Children
Authors: Hallahan Daniel P. , Gajar Anna H. , Cohen Sandra B. , Tarver Sara G.
Published: December 2008

A growing body of literature clearly shows typical LD children have trouble directing their attention to the central features of an externally-provided task. Further, LD children perceive the consequences surrounding their behavior to be more externally-controlled than does the average learner. This inactive, externally-controlled learning style is well documented. Further research needs now to isolate the subgroups which may exist within the broader characterization and examine the effectiveness of remedial techniques with the various subgroups. - G.M.S.
The Relationship of Visuospatial Skills and Verbal Ability to Learning Disabilities in Mathematics
Authors: McLeod Terry M. , Crump W. Donald
Published: December 2008

Learning disabilities In mathematics have received relatively little attention despite the social relevance of basic arithmetic ability. Early theories of mathematics disability viewed visuospatial and visuomotor skills as critical. This study examines verbal skills in addition and finds them to be equally important. - G.M.S.
Learning Disabilities and Juvenile Delinquency
Authors: Bachara Gary H. , Zaba Joel N.
Published: December 2008

The tangled cause-and-effect relationship between learning problems and juvenile delinquency has inhibited empirical study of their relationship. Additionally, our greater willingness to accept the reality of LD while wishing to remain distant from the problems of JD has made empirical study difficult. The critical question is not whether the two disorders are correlated — rather it is how to distinguish the various subgroups so that appropriate assistance can be rendered. - G.M.S.
Criteria for Mainstreaming the Learning Disabled Child into the Regular Classroom
Authors: Wilkes Holly H. , Bireley Marlene K. , Schultz Jerome J.
Published: December 2008

There has been little research dealing with the criteria to be used in determining a learning disabled child's readiness for mainstreaming. School psychologists, learning disabilities teachers, regular class teachers, and learning disabilities supervisors were asked to rate the importance of a set of 41 criteria developed for use in this study. The findings indicated that professionals in the field can agree on the relative importance of a set of criteria for mainstreaming.
Time-Series Research: Some Comments on Design Methodology for Research in Learning Disabilities
Authors: Kratochwill Thomas R. , Brody Gene H. , Piersel Wayne C.
Published: December 2008

This paper suggests that time-series design methodology provides a useful paradigm in which to conduct research in the learning disabilities field. It includes a review of some specific characteristics of time-series methodology that could usefully advance understanding of learning problems through applied research. These features include establishing experimental relations between variables in single cases, evaluating change over time, providing options to conventional research methodology, encouraging research in applied settings, and specification of learner characteristics. The paper concludes with a discussion of the relations between time-series and conventional experimental research strategies for future research in the learning disabilities field.
Eye Movement Patterns in Dyslexic Children
Authors: Elterman R.D. , Abel L.A. , Daroff R.B. , Dell'Osso L.F. , Bornstein J.L.
Published: December 2008

In this study we recorded eye movements during reading tasks for five dyslexic children and two controls. The subjects had vertical as well as horizontal eye position monitored with an infrared recording technique and performed a symbol-simulated reading task. We demonstrated the importance of both the symbol simulation and the vertical monitoring in evaluating the eye-movement patterns in dyslexics. Without the symbols, motor and comprehension defects cannot be distinguished. Without vertical eye position information, the horizontal eye-movement pattern is not properly interpretable.
The Short-term Memory Ability of Children with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Cermak Laird S. , Goldberg Judith , Cermak Sharon , Drake Charles
Published: December 2008

Three groups of learning disabled children, defined on the basis of their Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children profiles, and one control group of normal readers were asked to retain verbal material across distractor intervals ranging from zero to 18 seconds. None of the learning disabled groups (low verbal, high performance; high verbal, low performance; verbal equals performance) performed worse on this task than the normal controls. Furthermore, the older learning disabled children in the high-verbal, low-performance group actually retained somewhat more material than the normal control group. It was concluded that at least on this standard version of a short-term retention assessment task, learning disabled children are not at a significant disadvantage.
Reading Comprehension and Perception of Sequentially Organized Patterns: Intramodal and Cross-Modal Comparisons
Authors: Carr Payne M. , Davenport Richard K. , Domangue James C. , Soroka Richard D.
Published: December 2008

The ability to make sameness or difference judgments of pairs of Morse code-like patterns was measured when stimuli were presented intramodally or crossmodally. Visual, auditory, and tactual modalities were compared. Performance was compared in three groups of children — (1) a group poor in Reading Comprehension (group PR), grade levels 3 to 6; (2) a group matched with group PR on Vocabulary, sex, and age but at grade level on Comprehension; and (3) a group approximately two years younger than Group PR but matched with it on Comprehension scores. The younger group showed poorest overall performance on the experimental task. Overall, as a main effect, accuracy in the intramodal conditions was better than in the cross-modal conditions. When the first pattern of a pair was auditory, performance was better than when it was visual or tactual, while tactual performance was better than visual. Any comparison, however, in which the first pattern was auditory discriminated between the group poor in Reading Comprehension and the group of normal readers matched with it on Vocabulary. A deficit in auditory memory rather than cross-modal perception appears to be a factor in poor Reading Comprehension.
Auditory Learning Disabilities and Emotional Disturbance: Diagnostic Differences
Authors: Reeves Walter H.
Published: December 2008

Children with auditory learning disabilities are typically characterized by teachers as inattentive, unaware, limited in ability to comprehend or follow directions, and often giving irrelevant responses. Their difficulties with auditory language processing tend to be viewed as symptoms of poor attitude, lack of motivation, or emotional disturbance. This paper is concerned with an identification of conceptual functioning as an avenue of differentiating between auditory processing problems and primary ego development difficulties within the context of appropriate instructional/remediation strategies. A number of parameters were investigated with normal control children, and the data were analyzed in terms of multivariate and univariate analyses of variance. The results indicated that (1) auditory processing difficulties and ego dysfunctions are dissimilar p.roblems along the dimension of conceptualization; (2) the Kahn Test of Symbol Arrangement (KTSA) was able to significantly distinguish between auditory learning disabled and emotionally involved children; and (3) differential educationa strategies are clearly indicated.
Impulsivity and Psychoeducational Intervention in Hyperactive Children
Authors: Brown Ronald T.
Published: December 2008

The purpose of the present research was to identify the best treatment approach for treating impulsivity in hyperactive children. The treatment approaches investigated were two psychoeducational procedures. These approaches were examined in two groups of hyperactive children: (1) children receiving stimulant drug therapy and (2) children not receiving stimulant drug therapy. The results indicated that the use of psychoeducational treatment approaches are of value in altering the impulsive responses of hyperactive children. Consistent with the findings in follow-up studies of hyperactive children (suggesting that hyperactivity diminishes at adolescence) is the present finding that there is a developmental trend away from impulsivity in hyperactive children.
The Importance of Sequencing as an Aspect of Short-Term Memory in Good and Poor Spellers
Authors: McLeod John , Greenough Pauline
Published: December 2008

Memory tasks administered individually to grade one and grade four good and poor spellers were scored for both gross and ordered sequential recall. Good spellers were found to have higher threshold scores in gross memory rather than specifically superior sequential memory. Although Memory for Digits (grade one) and Memory for Pictures (at both levels) did not discriminate between good and poor spellers, good spellers were superior in all verbal linguistic short-term memory tasks. A sequentially related factor did appear to mediate for the good spellers, but it involved an ability to exploit internalized sequential constraints of overlearned verbal linguistic material rather than an ability to echo stimuli.
Maternal Expectations and Birth Order in Families with Learning Disabled and Normal Children
Authors: Epstein Joel , Berg-Cross Gary , Berg-Cross Linda
Published: December 2008

This study examined maternal expectations for male siblings as a function of the presence and birth order of learning disabled children between 8 and 10 years old. In one group, LD-B,, the learning disabled child was a firstborn (B1 ) and had a younger brother within three years of his age, and in another group, LD-B2 , he was second-born and had an older brother within three years of his age. Two appropriate normal control groups were used. All children were given a Block Design Task (from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children), a spelling task (from the Wide Range Achievement Test), and a beanbag task. Mothers had to predict the performance on each task for each of the two children being studied. In general the LD-B1 families were found to be under the greatest stress; maternal expectations were more likely to be inconsistent between the two children, with the mother underestimating the first-born learning disabled child's abilities and overestimating the normal second-born. These mothers were characterized as being socially withdrawn and more overprotective toward their children. Mothers in the LD-B2 families also had difficulty in expectations for their children but were able to adjust their expectations in a more consistent manner.
The Role of Computed Axial Tomography in the Study of the Child with Minimal Brain Dysfunction
Authors: Thompson J.S. , Ross Ronald J. , Horwitz Samuel J.
Published: December 2008

Delta CTexaminations of the brain were performed in 44 children with minimal brain dysfunction and specific learning disabilities. Contrast media were not injected. Forty-two of the 44 patients examined (95.5%) had normal scans. One child had agenesis of the corpus callosum, a deficit documented by ventriculography during the first year of life. One child had a focal area of infarction or postinflammatory gliosis in the right occipitoparietal region.

It was concluded from this study that computed axial tomography of the brain is not a necessary screening procedure in the evaluation of the child with minimal brain dysfunction or learning disabilities unless there is evidence of a focal neurologic deficit.
Role-Taking Deficits in Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Dickstein Ellen B. , Warren David R.
Published: December 2008

This study compared the cognitive, affective, and perceptual role-taking skills of 38 learning disabled children ranging in age from 5 to 8 years with those of a control group of normal children within the same age range. The results demonstrated a role-taking deficit in the learning disabled children who scored significantly lower on the tasks than their normal peers. The normal children reached almost perfect performance by the age of eight, while the 8-year-old learning disabled children scored with only 82% accuracy. Twenty additional learning disabled children ranging in age from 9 to 11 years were tested to determine whether they would exhibit improved performance with age. It was found that the 10-year-old learning disabled children performed no better on the role-taking tasks than those who were tested at 8 years old.
Demonstration and Research Programs for Learning Problems at Fernald, UCLA
Authors: Taylor Linda , Adelman Howard
Published: December 2008

In this Programs, Materials, and Techniques column we will examine university-based child development centers and child study clinics. Many times these centers serve as training centers for prospective professionals (teachers, school psychologists, and other support personnel), demonstration centers for comprehensive multidisciplinary diagnostic centers, community resources for schools, parents, and teachers, and applied research settings between the theories of books to the real work of the school.

The Fernald Center, housed in the psychology department of UCLA, places a heavy emphasis on applied research, whereas the Center for Reading and Learning at DePaul University is a multifunctional clinic that provides comprehensive, diagnostic, and treatment plans for children with learning behavioral problems. In addition, this center has a major component of serving as a training site for future learning disabilities and reading teachers. James Madison University's Child Development Clinic, which uses an interdisciplinary model, offers remedial and counseling services to a wide variety of handicapped children and youth and provides faculty from various departments an opportunity to practice in their respective fields. The diagnostic classroom at Lehigh University's laboratory school provides intensive diagnostic and remedial services to children with diagnostic profiles that have not responded well to previous educational efforts. The Huelsman Education Clinic serves as a practicum facility for courses in remedial and clinical reading, parent training, school psychology, and applied behavioral analysis.

Special appreciation is expressed to guest editor Dr. Booney Vance, associate professor of school psychology, Kent State University —D.A.S.
ITPA Performances of Young Children With and Without Questionable Brain Disorders
Authors: Tsushima William T. , Towne W. Scott
Published: December 2008

The Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA) was administered to 15 children with learning difficulties, ranging from 6 through 8 years of age, who had questionable brain disorder as a result of a history of a serious illness or trauma involving possible brain injury. A comparable group of 15 children with learning difficulties but with no such history of possible brain disorder was employed. Results of t tests revealed that the performance of young children with questionable brain disorders was inferior to those of young children with no brain disorder on all 11 ITPA subtests. The effects of brain disorder on visually mediated functions are discussed along with previous similar and conflicting data.
Learning Disabilities: A Diagnostic and Educational Challenge
Authors: Abroms Kippy I. , Meeker Mary
Published: December 2008

Learning disabilities is presented as a construct supported by psychoeducational, socioemotional, and physiological data, as illustrated by the Meeker paradigm. Specific learning abilities as conceived in the Structure of Intellect (S.O.I.) model and identified in the Stanford-Binet and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised are discussed in relation to the psychoeducation area of the Meeker paradigm. The absence of specific S.O.I. learning abilities is proposed in the definition of learning disabilities, and suggestions for remediation are delineated.
Piagetian Task Performance of Learning Diabled Children
Authors: Andersson Karen E. , Richards Herbert C. , Hallahan Daniel P.
Published: December 2008

Tests of visual integration and hierarchical classification (both Piagetian tasks) were administered to 77 middle-class, white boys who ranged in age from 4 to 12 years. Thirty of these subjects (equal numbers of 8-, 10-, and 12-year-olds) were classified as learning disabled; the remainder served as age-matched controls. The Visual Integration Test measured ability to perceive both part and whole relationships within a set of ambiguous visual stimuli. The Hierarchical Classification test assessed ability to understand class inclusion. The findings showed that (1) older children outperformed younger ones in a manner consistent with the developmental sequence described by Piaget and (2) older learning disabled children performed similarly to controls who were 2 to 4 years younger. The results were consistent with the view that learning disabled children experience a delay in developing certain concrete operations.
A Theoretical Model of the Acquisition of Peer Relationships of Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Wiener Judith
Published: December 2008

Children with learning disabilities were divided into three subgroups using a method of analyzing the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) subtest scores. The study examined the differences in the acquisition of positive peer relationships between children with conceptual, spatial, and sequential disabilities. It was found that children with conceptual and spatial disabilities were less likely to be accepted by other learning disabled children than children with sequential disabilities. The results are discussed in terms of a theoretical model developed by the author. Learning disabled children's problems in acquiring positive peer relationships are thought to result partially from their social perceptual and social cognitive deficits, which are a function of the perceptual processing deficits that underly the learning disability.
Performance of Students With Auditory Figure-Ground Disorders Under Conditions of Unilateral and Bilateral Ear Occlusion
Authors: Hasbrouck Jon M.
Published: December 2008

This study was designed to compare the effects oj unilateral and bilateral ear occlusion on performance of an auditory discrimination task in background noise in students with auditory figure-ground disorders. The results indicated that ear occlusion improved performance in the majority of subjects, and that unilateral occlusion effectively eliminated the auditory figure-ground disorder in most subjects. The results are discussed in terms of the desirability of prescribing unilateral ear occlusion in classroom situations for appropriately diagnosed students who have auditory figure-ground disorders, and in terms of the physiological functioning of the auditory system in figure-ground disorders.
A Study of the Relationship Between Speed of Retrieval of Verbal Information and Patterns of Oral Reading Errors
Authors: Blumenthal Susan H.
Published: December 2008

Do children with learning problems, who vary in speed of verbal retrieval, tend to use reading strategies differerzt from those of normal readers? This study explored one aspect of that question by examining the relutionship between speed of retrieval of verbal information and patterns of oral reading responses in a population of 91 children with learning problems in grades 2 through 5. A Naming Task required the rapid naming of colors, numbers, upper and lower case letters, and common objects. An oral reading selection was analyzed using categories from the Reading Miscue Inventory. The findings suggest that rapid and slow retrievers develop oral reading strategies similar to normal readers, and that children with learning problems can and do use graphophonic, svtuaotic, and semantic cues. Implications for the re-evaluation of special programs designed for children with learning problems are discussed.
The Performance of Learning Disabled Children on Tests of Auditory Discrimination
Authors: Matthews Barbara A. J. , Seymour Charlena M.
Published: December 2008

Four groups of children, articulatory defective only, learning disabled articulatory defective, learning disabled only, and normals, were given subtests V through VIII of the Ohio Test of Articulation and Perception of Sounds by Irwin and Abbate (1973) to assess auditory discrimination abilities under four conditions-interpersonal identification of sounds, interpersonal comparator perception of sounds, intrapersonal identification of sounds, and intrapersonal comparator perception of sounds. Contrary to previous research, it was found that tests of auditory discrimination were not likely to differentiate between learning disabled children and nonlearning disabled children unless both groups were also articulatory defective. When the children were articulatory defective, the intrapersonal identification auditory discrimination task was fourvd to differentiate between learning disabled and nonlearning disabled children. The monitoring of one's own articulation appeared to play a dominant role in the learning disabled children's failure on some of the tasks.
Restructuring Dysfunctional Parental Attitudes Toward Children's Learning and Behavior in School: Family-Oriented Psychoeducational Therapy
Authors: Klein Rosalyn S. , Altman Steven D. , Dreizen Kathryn , Friedman Robert , Powers Lois
Published: December 2008

This is the first of two articles describing parental attitudes that interfere with a child's learning and behavior in school. Two dysfunctional parental attitudes are considered in depth. Cases are presented to illustrate the effects of these dysfunctional attitudes and therapeutic approaches toward them. Cognitive, behavioral, and dynamically oriented interventions are presented which have been effective when a child's difficulties result from his acting in accordance with the family's attitude toward learning.
A Pilot Study of Visual-Motor Developmental Inter-Test Reliability: The Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration and the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test
Authors: Porter Gary L. , Binder Dorothy M.
Published: December 2008

Visual motor performance is a significant contributing factor to a child's academic performance (Beery 1967a, Getman 1961). Because of the need for accurate and specific diagnostic techniques, the professionals in the fields of pediatric and developmental optometry, learning disabilities, and education must constantly evaluate the diagnostic instruments they use.

The Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration (VMI) and the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test (BGT) are copy form instruments clinically employed to measure the degree to which visual perception and motor behavior are integrated in the child and to determine a child's level of visual motor development and maturity. Th VMI and the BGT are similar in the areas of protocol, stimulus design, and in the developmental scoring systems and criteria each employs.

The purpose of this study was to determine the inter-test reliability of the VMI and the BGT, so as to avoid a possibility of testing redundancy when both diagnostic instruments are used conjunctively in a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of a child's level of visual motor performance.
Piagetian Theory and the Atypical Case: An Analysis of the Developmental Gerstmann Syndrome
Authors: Saxe Geoffrey B. , Shaheen Sandra
Published: December 2008

This paper presents an analysis of a particular form of atypical cognitive development from the point of view of Piaget's normative developmental theory. Two 9-year-old boys are described who performed in the normal range on measures of IQ, language ability, and reading. The boys were unable, however, to acquire elementary numerical skills and also manifested other specific cognitive deficits associated with the Gerstmann syndrome. The results of additional testing on a battery of Piagetian tasks indicated that neither child had advanced to the Piagetian stage of concrete operations. These findings have implications both for Piaget's theory and for understanding the nature of the atypical development. Regarding atypical development, the findings indicate that children's acalculia is not an isolated deficit but rather that the general delay in the stage transition inhibited the children's development of numerical skills. With respect to Piagetian theory, the finding that the boys had not achieved numerical skills but had acquired reading skills suggests that whereas the acquisition of the former are closely linked to Piaget's stages of operational development, the acquisition of the latter are not directly dependent on stages of operational development.
An Analysis of Letter Reversals in Children and a Model for an Approach to Remediation
Authors: Stauffer Lee , Stauffer Jerry D.
Published: December 2008

This article proposes an explanatory model of letter reversals and confusions in the early grades. It examines the relationship between such reversals and certain cybernetic and mathematical theories about the perception of shapes. Using the model proposed, it suggests certain instructional strategies and remedial techniques for dealing with letter reversals and confizsions.
A Non-Verbal Child in a Regular Classroom
Authors: Abkarian G.G.
Published: December 2008

A case study is presented that describes the experiences of a nonverbal child in a regular elementary classroom. By teaching this child an alternate communication system (Signed English) and by training his classroom teacher and peers in the use of this specialized system, the child has been able to function socially and educationally in a normalized environment. Benefits to this child's nonhandicapped classmates are discussed.
Teach Reading Disabled Students to Perceive Distinctive Features in Words
Authors: Miccinati Jeannette
Published: December 2008

The Glass-Analysis Method focuses the learner's attention on a stimulus; distinctive clusters of graphic features related to particular sounds. The end result is perceptual learning, an increase of visual and auditory memory through association of redundant letter clusters of sounds-symbols. The placement of letter clusters patterns in initial, end of the word positions, as well as embedded within words ensures the student searching for, and thus learning the distinctive features of the cluster. The presentation of the clusters with a visual word develops connection between the graphic symbols and the sound pattern of talk. Different types of words are used in the program; one-, two-, three-, and four-syllable words. Through the redundancy of actively searching and locating the clusters, the student gains practice, learns the structure of the words; the orthographic rules or intra-word relations within a word, all of which aid retention. A learning set is developed. This contributes to a student's ability to transfer the skill learned, which is the ultimate goal.
Our Professional Commitment as Auxiliary Staff Members
Authors: Wood Mildred H.
Published: December 2008

A vast number of vulnerable new programs have been designed to provide appropriate education for all children. Perhaps most vulnerable are the programs for children with learning disabilities. Personal experience in a variety of job roles has revealed a number of skills and characteristics needed by auxiliary staff personnel to fulfill their professional commitment to children with learning disabilities, to establish their professional identity, and to find job satisfaction in programs that were implemented in haste to meet the new laws, regulations, and guidelines.
Power and Persuasion: The Superintendent's Role In Designing Therapeutic Education for L/LD Children
Authors: Griffin Richard A.
Published: December 2008

The superintendent's leadership behavior, more than any other factor, determines the character and quality of the instructional programs provided for atypical learners. If education for these children is to become therapeutic, the superintendent must step beyond the limits of traditional administrative models and adopt a more "vital" leadership style. With this transcendence, the superintendency becomes more than a position; it becomes a process. Emphasizing a team approach, it carefully calibrates the elements of power and persuasion in order to obtain and maintain an environment conducive to research and program development, administering more to the nature of the learner than the structure of the organization.
Do Language-Learning Disabled Children (L/LDs) Have Impaired Memories? In Search of Underlying Processes
Authors: Ceci Stephen J. , Ringstrom Maureen , Lea Stephen E.G.
Published: December 2008

The role of memory deficits in learning disabilities was examined. Learning disabilities were prescreened for specific types of memory deficits-visual (V), auditory (A), both visual and auditory (B) and neither (C). It was found that the specific types of memory impairments were associated with diminished semantic processing. Apparently, a memory deficit was confined to meaningful aspects of items (such as their category membership), and not to nonsemantic or perceptual characteristics (such as their color). Nonsemantic processing was not affected by the presence of a memory impairment in any group except (B). These findings are discussed in the context of current conceptualizations of learning disabilities. It is argued that a shift in emphasis is necessary from standardized test results to the processes which underpin performance on such tests.
Learning Disabled Adult Nexus: Emerging American Issues and European Perspectives
Authors: Gerber Paul J.
Published: December 2008

Services for learning disabled adults are discussed through a comparison of their treatment in the Dutch and Danish delivery of services. Promising practices are related from a European perspective and questions are raised about the evolution of services to learning disabled adults in the United States.
Coping and Defense Mechanisms of Mothers of Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Faerstein Leslie Morrison
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ways in which mothers of learning disabled children cope with and defend against the diagnosis and manifestations of their child's problem, as well as to explore the mothers' reactions and experience with the process of diagnosis and treatment in a clinic setting. Results indicated that the mothers generally evidenced coping mechanisms when involved with medical, social and educational agencies, and were able to appropriately obtain services for their child. However, coping functions broke down and gave way to more defensive mechanisms in direct confrontation with the child: projection, denial of the problem and displacement of anger on to the child were seen. Mothers, contrary to traditional attitudes, experienced relief at receiving a diagnosis, confirming their suspicions rather than experiencing shock or grief.
The Effect of Cognitive Strategy Training on Verbal Math Problem Solving Performance of Learning Disabled Adolescents
Authors: Montague Marjorie , Bos Candace S.
Published: December 2008

This study investigated the effect of an eight-step cognitive strategy on verbal math problem solving performance of six learning disabled adolescents. The cognitive strategy was designed to enable students to read, understand, carry out, and check verbal math problems that are encountered in the general math curriculum at the secondary level. Conditions of the multiple baseline desing included baseline, treatment, generalization, maintenance, and retraining. During treatment, students received strategy acquisition training, strategy application practice, and testing. Visual analysis of the data indicated this eight-step cognitive strategy to be an effective intervention for this sample of students who had deficits in verbal math problem solving. Overall, the students demonstrated impoved performance on twostep verbal math problems. Maintenance and generalization of the strategy were evident. This study has implications for an alternative teaching methodology that focuses on cognitive strategy training to improve the verbal math problem solving of learning disabled students.
A Comprehensive Study Of Learning Disabled Adults
Authors: Buchanan Mary , Wolf Joan S.
Published: December 2008

Personal and educational histories and test data of 33 learning disabled adults were collected and analyzed. Characteristics of this population are described, and an analysis of the test data is presented. It was found that many of the characteristics of learning disabled youngsters described in the literature persist into adulthood. Some significant sex differences in the Reasoning section of the Woodcock-Johnson Cognitive Ability Test and in Math Achievement are also reported. Issues related to understanding this population are discussed.
Social Competence and Behavioral Problems of Learning Disabled Boys Aged 6-11
Authors: McConaughy Stephanie H. , Ritter David R.
Published: December 2008

Parents' reports on social competence and behavioral problems were obtained for 123 learning disabled boys aged 6–11 who were referred for a psychoeducational assessment at the Center for Disorders of Communication at the University of Vermont. One parent of each boy completed the Child Behavior Checklist developed by Achenbach and Edelbrock (1983). On average, the parents of LD boys reported significantly lower levels of social competence and more behavior problems than normative samples of parents. On the social competence scales, the LD boys were significantly lower than the normative samples in their participation in activities, their social involvement and school performance. On the behavior problem scales, the LD boys had significantly higher scores for both “externalizing” and “internalizing” types of problems, including problems related to depression, uncommunicativeness, obsessive-compulsive behaviors, social withdrawal, hyperactivity, aggressivness and “delinquency.” Compared to a sample of other clinically-referred boys, a significantly larger proportion of LD boys showed a hyperactive profile pattern, and smaller proportions showed profile patterns indicative of depressed-social withdrawal-aggressive behavior and delinquency. There were significant, but low, positive correlations between IQ scores on the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and social competence scores and negative correlations between IQ scores and behavior problem scores.
Levels and Patterns of Intellectual Functioning Among LD College Students: Clinical and Educational Implications
Authors: Vogel Susan A.
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to examine levels and patterns of intellectual functioning in 31 LD college females, 17-25. The goal was to provide descriptive data to assist colleges in identifying potentially successful LD college students and in providing needed support services. Mean Verbal and Performance IQ was within the average range and surprisingly even. The mean V-P IQ discrepancy was 10.60; seven subjects had a discrepancy of $15. The three highest mean scaled scores were on the Digit Symbol, Similarities, and Comprehension subtests, while the three lowest were on the Digit Span, Information, and Arithmetic. Scatter on all subtests ranged from five to 13 (M = 6.00). Scatter on the Verbal Scale subtests was greater than on the Performance Scale subtest (M = 6.03 and 5.61, respectively.) The hierarchy of category scores was Verbal Conceptualization < Spatial < Sequential < ACID < Acquired Knowledge. The clinical and educational implications of these findings are discussed, including possible sex-related and self-selection factors specific to this sample.
Competencies for Mainstreaming Secondary Level Learning Disabled Students
Authors: Salend Spencer J. , Salend Suzanne M.
Published: December 2008

This study identified the social skill competencies necessary for successful performance in secondary mainstream settings as judged by a sample group of 334 regular and special educators. The implications of the findings are discussed.
Teacher Ratings and the Assessment of Attention Deficit Disordered Children
Authors: Brown Ronald T.
Published: December 2008

A recent analysis of teacher ratings of the classroom behavior of 158 attention deficit disordered (ADD) children revealed three factors labeled “Emotional Lability/Conduct,” “Temperament,” and “Attention/Concentration” which in part correspond to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM III). To further explore this correspondence, 88 children were identified as those with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADD-H) and 58 children were identified as those with attention deficit disorder without hyperactivity (ADD) in accordance with DSM III criteria. When the two sub-groups were compared, teachers rated ADD-H children as more problematic than their ADD counterparts. Results of discriminant analysis further indicated that teacher ratings had the potential to discriminate ADD from ADD-H groups. Findings were interpreted to corroborate the distinction between ADD with and without hyperactivity as delineated in the DSM III. Discussion includes an interpretation of these results to suggest that the attention deficit disorder as exhibited in the classroom is a constellation of related attentional as well as behavioral and temperament disturbances. Recommendations were also made to support the diagnostician's use of teacher ratings in identifying ADD children.
Memory Improvement via Motor Encoding in Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Freides David , Messina Cynthia A.
Published: December 2008

Motor enactment has been shown to facilitate verbal memory in normal children. Since evidence for both memory impairment and motor dysfunction has often been found in children with learning disabilities, this effect was studied in learning disabled children segregated as to whether they demonstrated motoric impairments. Using a memory for sentences procedure, learning disabled boys, with and without motor impairments, were compared with normal controls when trained with and without motor enactment. Memory in both normal andlearning disabled subjects (with and without motor impairment) improved significantly following motor enactment. The trend in the data was for greater improvement in the learning disabled. Lines of future research are suggested.
Some Audiological, Psychological, Educational and Behavioral Characteristics Of Children With Bilateral Otitis Media With Effusion: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Silva Phil A. , Chalmers David , Stewart Ian
Published: December 2008

This paper describes a longitudinal study of a group of children who had bilateral otitis media with effusion at age five and who were compared with a group of children with normal ears at that age. OME was defined as Type B tympanograms and features of OME by otomicroscopic examination and normal as Type A tympanograms in both ears again confirmed by otomicroscopy. Results are reported for hearing (ages 5, 7, 9, 11), intelligence (3, 5, 7, 9, 11), language development (3, 5, 7, 9), speech articulation (5, 7, 9), reading attainment (7, 9, 11), and behaviour problems (5, 7, 9, 11). Children with bilateral OME at age five had a moderately high degree of hearing loss at that age and continued to have a significant degree of hearing loss at subsequent ages. The degree of later hearing loss was small. When the mean IQs over the years were combined, there was no significant difference between the groups. The bilateral OME group gained significantly lower average scores in both verbal comprehension and expression. Also, the combined speech articulation and the reading test scores were significantly lower in the bilateral OME group. Teachers, but not parents, reported significantly more behaviour problems in the bilateral OME group over the period studied. Because this was the first longitudinal study of what was assumed to be the consequences of bilateral OME to be reported, further such research is recommended. In the meantime, the results were interpreted as supporting the hypothesis that bilateral OME has long term adverse effects on children and that current efforts towards the early identification and treatment of bilateral OME should be continued. These efforts, however, should be targeted well before age five and possibly prior to age three.
Assessment: Projections of its Decline and Fall With Suggestions for its Resurrection
Authors: Nolen P. A.
Published: December 2008

Paraprofessional training in administration and scoring of educational and psychological tests for learning disability diagnosis was examined critically. Conclusions were that projected disadvantages outweigh advantages, indicating caution in adopting the practice.
Intrinsic Motivation in the Special Education Classroom
Authors: Cohen Margaret W.
Published: December 2008

Intrinsic approaches to student motivation are discussed and contrasted with the traditional behaviorist approach to motivating students in special education classrooms. The results of recent research in the area of intrinsic motivation have particular relevance for teachers of exceptional learners. These implications are discussed by suggesting several alternative ways that special educators can begin to incorporate the recent findings into their classroom practice.
Principal's Roles and Teacher Conflict
Authors: Cheek Earl H. , Lindsey Jimmy D.
Published: December 2008

It was the purpose of this manuscript to delineate for learning disability teachers the major responsibilities principals should exercise and the conflicts that can arise. These major roles and possible conflicts can be divided into three categories. The interpersonal relationship responsibilities of principal discussed were leader, figurehead, and liaison. The information-processing roles described were monitor, disseminator, and spokesperson. The decision-making roles of principal reviewed were change agent, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator and evaluator. As principals go through their day concerning themselves with the physical plant, teachers, staff, students, parents, central office personnel and community individuals, they must assume one or more of the above roles. When principals exercise their responsibilities and work with their learning disability specialists, they invariably create tension and conflict. This conflict can be minimized if principals and learning disability teachers understand and accept the roles of the principal and work together. Effective principal and learning disability teacher relationships will promote overall job satisfaction and positive student achievement.
Picture-Word Interference in Learning Disabled and Normal Children
Authors: Lovdahl Karen E. , Brown Alan S. , McIntyre Curtis W. , North Alvin J.
Published: December 2008

The response latencies of learning disabled (LD) and normal control boys were compared on a picture-word interference task. A series of line drawings (pictures) with words imbedded in the center were presented. The embedded words either named the associated picture (C), were from the same category as the associated picture (IC), or were from a different category than the associated picture (IR). In separate conditions, the subjects' task was either to (a) name the word, (b) name the picture, (c) categorize the word, or (d) categorize the picture. Both LD and normal control boys exhibited greater interference effects (longer response latencies) when naming pictures (versus naming words) and when categorizing words (versus categorizing pictures). These results support Smith and Magee's (1980) two-process model of name and category activation. In addition, the LD boys experienced more interference than normal control boys whenever any irrelevant stimuli were present (IR and IU pairs). The nature of the attentional distractibility of LD children is discussed.
Book Reviews
Authors: Tebb Sharon , Chandler Harry N.
Published: December 2008

Communication Skills And Classroom Success, C.S. Simon. San Diego: College-Hill Press, 1985, 424 p., paperback.

Teaching Special Needs Students In Regular Classrooms, C.V. Morsink. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1984, 371 p.
An Examination of Three Tests of Visual-Motor Integration
Authors: Aylward Elizabeth H. , Schmidt Steven
Published: December 2008

This study examines three tests of visual-motor integration which might be used as predictors of learning disabilities in a kindergarten population: the Bender Gestalt Test, the Beery Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration, and the Geometric Design subtest of the WPPSI. Issues discussed include the relative interscorer reliabilities of the three tests, correlations among scores of the three tests, correlations between visual-motor integration scores and IQ, and sex differences in test performance. Suggestions are provided regarding the selection of a test of visual-motor integration for the kindergarten population.
Impact of Creativity Instruction on Learning Disabled Students' Divergent Thinking
Authors: Jaben Twila H.
Published: December 2008

Fifty students from intermediate level learning disabilities classrooms served as subjects. The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking were used as pretests and post tests to measure the effect of creativity instruction on the subjects' cognitive skills. For 14 weeks the Purdue Creative Thinking Program was used to stimulate the learning disabled experimental group's creative thinking. Subjects in the learning disabled experimental group made significantly greater scores than the learning disabled control group in divergent thinking as measured by the verbal and figural subtests of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking.
The Role of Syntax in Reading Disability
Authors: Glass Arnold L. , Perna Joan
Published: December 2008

This study examined the hypothesis that poor readers are deficient in syntactic comprehension and this contributes to their reading comprehension deficit. A total of 95 fourth graders who were good readers and 27 fourth graders who were poor readers were given a test of syntactic competence, as well as a vocabulary test and tests of auditory and reading comprehension. Scores on the auditory and reading comprehension tests were significantly correlated. The poor readers performed significantly poorer on the syntactic test, though the difference was small. Furthermore, when vocabulary level was controlled, there was no correlation between syntactic competence and either reading or aural comprehension for good or poor readers. The results provided no evidence for the syntactic hypothesis.