bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cerebellar Tests Differentiate Between Groups of Poor Readers With and Without IQ Discrepancy
Authors: Fawcett Angela J. , Nicolson Roderick I. , Maclagan Fiona
Published: December 2007

A comprehensive test battery, including phonological, speed, motor and cerebellar tasks, was administered to the entire cohort of two schools for children with learning disabilities. Testing was undertaken blind without accessing the psychometric data on the children. Children were then allocated to a discrepancy group on the basis of their IQ, with the majority (n = 29) classified as nondiscrepant (IQ < 90) and a smaller set (n = 7), with IQ of at least 90, classified as discrepant (with dyslexia). Both groups showed significant deficits relative to age-matched controls on almost all the tests. On phonological, speed, and motor tasks, the nondiscrepant group were at least as severely impaired as the discrepant group. By contrast, on the cerebellar tests of postural stability and muscle tone, the nondiscrepant group performed significantly better than the children with dyslexia and close to the level of the controls. The findings indicate that cerebellar tests may prove a valuable method of differentiating between poor readers with and without IQ discrepancy. The findings are interpreted in terms of the cerebellar deficit hypothesis for dyslexia.
Treatment Outcomes for Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Simmerman Susan , Swanson H. Lee
Published: December 2007

This study analyzed the magnitude of experimental intervention outcomes as a function of violations in internal and external validity for studies that included students with learning disabilities. The results indicated that treatment outcomes were significantly affected by the following violations: teacher effects, establishing criterion levels of instructional performance, reliance on experimental measures, using different measures between pretest and posttest, using a sample heterogenous in age, and using incorrect units of analysis. Furthermore, the underreporting of information related to ethnicity, locale of the study, psychometric data, and teacher applications positively inflated the magnitude of treatment outcomes. A weighted hierarchical regression analysis revealed that composite scores of the aforementioned high-risk variables accounted for 16% of the total variance in effect size. The implications for interpreting intervention research to practice are discussed.
Do Students With and Without Lexical Retrieval Weaknesses Respond Differently to Instruction?
Authors: Allor Jill Howard , Fuchs Douglas , Mathes Patricia G.
Published: December 2007

Deficits in phonological processing are theorized to be responsible for at least some reading disabilities. A considerable amount of research demonstrates that many students can be taught one of these phonological processes—phonemic awareness. However, not all students have responded favorably to this instruction. Research has suggested that these nonresponders may be unable to retrieve phonological codes quickly from long-term memory. The purpose of this study was to examine whether such a deficiency, which we refer to as lexical retrieval weakness, blunts the effectiveness of combined phonemic awareness and decoding training. To this end, we compared the effectiveness of phonemic awareness and decoding training for students with and without severe lexical retrieval weaknesses. All students in both groups demonstrated poor phonemic awareness. The results suggested that students with relatively strong lexical retrieval skill responded more favorably to beginning reading instruction than did students with weak lexical retrieval skill. In other words, lexical retrieval weakness may influence reading development independently of the effects of phonemic awareness. Implications for instruction are discussed.
Neuropsychological Treatment of Dyslexia in the Classroom Setting
Authors: Goldstein Bram H. , Obrzut John E.
Published: December 2007

The purpose of this study was to validate Bakker's (1990, 1992) clinical neuropsychological balance model of dyslexia when implementec in a traditional general education classroom environment. The sample included 45 middle school, right-handed boys and girls (mean age = 12.78) with L-type dyslexia (excessively fast readers who make substantive reading errors), P-type dyslexia (displaying accurate but slow and laborious reading), and M-type dyslexia (readers who commit a combination of L-type and P-type dyslexia errors). The ex perimental groups (L and P type dyslexia) were presented with hemisphere specific stimulation (HSS) and hemispheric alluding stimul (HAS). HSS involves the presentation of words into the right visual field (RVF) or the left visual field (LVF) or through tactile exercises with the right or left hand. HAS is achieved by constructing semantically and phonetically challenging letters and words. The childrer with M-type dyslexia served as a control group and received traditional decoding and comprehension exercises. The readers were exposed to a specific treatment model for 16 weeks, depending on their reading accuracy and comprehension. Statistical analyses indi cated that, although there were no significant changes in word recognition for the dyslexia subtypes, the readers with L-type, P-type and M-type dyslexia exhibited significant improvement in reading accuracy and comprehension as assessed by results from pretest to posttest. These results suggest that Bakker's clinical neuropsychological intervention can be effectively applied to the general education setting as well.
The Utility of Kindergarten Teacher Ratings for Predicting Low Academic Achievement in First Grade
Authors: Teisl James T. , Mazzocco Michèle M. M. , Myers Gwen F.
Published: December 2007

The purpose of this study was to assess the predictive value of kindergarten teachers' ratings of pupils for later first-grade academic achievement. Kindergarten students were rated by their teachers on a variety of variables, including math and reading performance, teacher concerns, and amount of learning relative to peers. These variables were then analyzed with respect to outcome measures for math and reading ability administered in the first grade. The teachers' ratings of academic performance were significantly correlated with scores on the outcome measures. Analyses were also carried out to determine sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of the different teacher ratings. The results indicated high overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value for the ratings. Positive predictive value tended to be lower. A recommendation to follow from these results is that teacher ratings of this sort be used to determine which children should receive cognitive screening measures to further enhance identification of children at risk for learning disability. However, this recommendation is limited by the lack of empirically supported screening measures for math disability versus well-supported screening tools for reading disability.
Substance Use Disorders in Young Adults With and Without LD
Authors: Beitchman Joseph H. , Wilson Beth , Douglas Lori , Young Arlene , Adlaf Edward
Published: December 2007

This article reports on young people with and without learning disabilities (LD) and substance use disorders (SUD). Participants were assessed for LD at ages 12 and 19 and for SUD and psychiatric disorders at age 19. Participants with LD at ages 12 and 19 were more likely to develop an SUD or a psychiatric disorder compared to participants without consistent LD. Participants with LD at age 19 were more likely to have a concurrent SUD or psychiatric disorder compared to those without LD at age 19, while participants with LD at age 12 showed only a trend toward increased rates of SUD at age 19 when compared to participants without LD at age 12. Participants with and without LD did not differ in substance use, consumption levels, or onset history. In a multivariate model, adolescent LD was associated with a three-fold increased risk for SUD after behavioral problems and family structure had entered the model. Although these results provide some support for the notion that adolescents with LD are at increased risk for SUD, LD also appears to confer a general risk for adverse outcomes.
Risk Factors for Adolescent Substance Abuse
Authors: Weinberg Naimah Z.
Published: December 2007

Reviews research on risk factors for adolescent substance use disorders (SUD) and discusses possible relationships between SUDs and learning disabilities (LD). Individual level factors (genetic, biologic, other familial, and psychiatric) emerge as very important in the risk equation, as well as the interaction between individual risk and environmental conditions. Commonalities between SUD risk and LD include prenatal substance exposure, family history of SUD, conduct disorder, social skills deficits, and academic failure; however, further research is needed to establish whether individuals with LD face a specific risk for SUDs, and if so, what the nature of that risk might be.
Temporal Resolution of Auditory Perception in Relation to Perception, Memory, and Language Skills in Typical Children
Authors: Norrelgen Fritjof , Lacerda Francisco , Forssberg Hans
Published: December 2007

This study examined temporal resolution of auditory perception (TRAP) in relation to speech perception and phonological working memory in one experiment and in relation to measures of rapid naming, understanding of grammatical contrasts, and phonological awareness in a second experiment. In the TRAP test, 6- to 9-year-old children discriminated four pairs of two sine tones, 878 Hz and 1350 Hz, presented in blocks with stepwise decreasing interstimulus intervals from 256 ms to 8 ms. In Experiment 1, weak but significant correlations between TRAP and speech perception and phonological working memory were found, as well as a significantly lower TRAP performance by girls. Experiment 2 indicated a significant relation between TRAP and the phonological awareness task. The results give qualified support to the notion of a weak relationship between TRAP and speech perception and language skills among typical children. However, the gender differences in TRAP performance, the limited variance explained by the regression models, and the finding that only one of the language parameters correlated with TRAP do not support the notion of a causal relationship between language skills and TRAP. The possibility that TRAP is connected to general neurological maturation rather than specifically to language abilities is discussed.
Self-Report of ADHD Symptoms in University Students
Authors: DuPaul George J. , Schaughency Elizabeth A. , Weyandt Lisa L. , Tripp Gail , Kiesner Jeff , Ota Kenji , Stanish Heidy
Published: December 2007

Little research has examined the structure and prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in university students, including whether symptom structure conforms to the bidimensional (i.e., inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity) conceptualization of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSMV-IV; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) and whether self-reported symptoms vary across gender and country. A sample of 1,209 university students from three countries (Italy, New Zealand, and the United States) completed a 24-item self-report measure (the Young Adult Rating Scale) tapping ADHD symptomatology. Factor analyses within the U.S. and New Zealand samples supported a bidimensional symptom structure, whereas weaker support for this conceptualization was provided by the Italian sample. Participants did not vary significantly by gender in symptom report; however, Italian students reported significantly more inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms than students from the United States, and students from New Zealand reported more inattention symptoms than students from the United States. The prevalence of self-reported ADHD symptoms beyond DSM-IV thresholds for diagnosis ranged from 0% (Italian women) to 8.1% (New Zealand men). The implications of these results for the use of DSM-IV criteria in identifying university students with ADHD are discussed.
Visual-Spatial Strength in Dyslexia
Authors: von Károlyi Catya
Published: December 2007

It has often been conjectured that visual-spatial talents accompany dyslexia. But do individuals with dyslexia have unusual visual-spatial talents? Individuals with dyslexia were compared to controls on two computer-based visual-spatial tasks in two studies. In accordance with a diverging ability hypothesis, it was predicted that the dyslexia group would perform better on a global task, identifying impossible figures, and worse on a feature-oriented task, matching figures. These hypotheses were partially supported. On the global task, the dyslexia group was faster but no more accurate than the control group at identifying impossible objects. On the feature-oriented task, the control group outperformed the dyslexia group. The results indicate that the diverging ability hypothesis of dyslexia merits further investigation.
Persistence of Phonological Processing Deficits in College Students with Dyslexia Who Have Age-Appropriate Reading Skills
Authors: Wilson Alexander M. , Lesaux Nonie K.
Published: December 2007

This study investigated the phonological processing skills of university students with dyslexia. Fifty-nine students participated in this study: 28 with reading disabilities based on recent psychological assessments and a history of early and persistent reading problems; and 31 controls. The two groups did not differ on estimates of verbal and nonverbal abilities. The dyslexia group performed significantly less well on standardized measures of reading and spelling. However, the dyslexia group scores on these measures fell within the average range. The main dependent variables were subsumed under three areas of phonological processing: phonological awareness, phonological recoding in lexical access, and phonological recoding in working memory. The control group performed significantly better on all phonological processing measures, particularly those measures involving accuracy and response times. Despite age-appropriate performances on standardized reading and spelling measures, phonological processing deficits persisted in the dyslexia group. These findings support the causal role of phonological awareness in the acquisition of reading skills and indicate that differences in phonological processing skills are still evident in a sample of university students with dyslexia compared a group matched on age and education.
Predicting Delay in Reading Achievement in a Highly Transparent Language
Authors: Holopainen Leena , Ahonen Timo , Lyytinen Heikki
Published: December 2007

A random sample of 91 preschool children was assessed prior to receiving formal reading instruction. Verbal and nonverbal measures were used as predictors for the time of instruction required to accurately decode pseudowords in the highly orthographically regular Finnish language. After 2 years, participants were divided into four groups depending on the duration of instruction they had required to reach 90 % accuracy in their reading of pseudowords. Participants were classified as precocious decoders (PD), who could read at school entry; early decoders (ED), who learned to read within the first 4 months of Grade 1; ordinary decoders (OD), who learned to read within 9 months; and late decoders (LD), who failed to reach the criterion after 18 months of reading instruction at Grade 2. Phonological awareness played a significant role only in differentiating PD from ED and OD. However, phonological awareness failed to predict the delayed learning process of LD. LD differed from all other groups in visual analogical reasoning in an analysis not containing phonological awareness measures. Letter knowledge and visual analogical reasoning explained above 90% of the PD-LD difference. Preschool composite (objects, colors, and digits) naming speed measures best predicted reading fluency at the end of Grade 2. The supportive role of orthographic knowledge in phonological awareness, the role of visual analogical reasoning, and the inability of phonological measures to discriminate late decoders are discussed.
The Development of Reading Speed in Italians with Dyslexia
Authors: Tressoldi Patrizio E. , Stella Giacomo , Faggella Marzia
Published: December 2007

The development of reading speed in Italian children with dyslexia was estimated using individualized growth curves for a group of 38 children with dyslexia tested longitudinally from the second to the eighth grade and compared with typical readers. Their reading speed development followed a linear trend of .3 syllables per second per grade, approximately half the increment observed in typical children reading a passage and similar to typical children's reading of nonword lists. These findings give support to the deficit hypothesis versus the lag hypothesis and to reading speed as the core deficit in dyslexia with transparent orthographies.
Does Strategy Knowledge Influence Working Memory in Children with Mathematical Disabilities?
Authors: Keeler Marsha L. , Swanson H. Lee
Published: December 2007

This study investigated the relationship between working memory (WM), declarative strategy knowledge, and math achievement in children with and without mathematical disabilities (MD). Experiment 1 examined the relationship between strategy knowledge, verbal WM, and visual-spatial WM in children with MD as a function of initial, gain, and maintenance conditions. The results showed that after partialing the influence of reading, stable strategy choices rather than specific strategy knowledge was related to verbal and visual-spatial WM span in high demand (maintenance) conditions. Experiment 2 compared children with MD to a group of chronological age-matched children and a group of math ability-matched children on the same conditions as Experiment 1. Age-matched children's verbal and visual-spatial WM performance was superior to that of children with MD, whereas WM performance was statistically comparable between children with MD and younger children matched on math ability. The selection of expert strategies was related to high WM span scores in the initial conditions. After controlling for reading achievement in a regression analysis, verbal and visual-spatial WM, stable verbal strategy choices, and expert strategy choices related to visual-spatial processing all contributed independent variance to math achievement. Overall, these results suggest that WM and math achievement are related to strategy knowledge.
The Effect of Academic Self-Concept on ADHD and Antisocial Behaviors in Early Adolescence
Authors: Pisecco Stewart , Wristers Kimberly , Swank Paul , Silva Phil A. , Baker David B.
Published: December 2007

Using structural equation modeling techniques, we evaluated the effect of academic self-concept (ASC) on the development of attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and antisocial behaviors in early adolescence. Participants (n = 445) were recruited from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Research study. Eligibility was determined by the presence of complete data for the following variables at the specified time periods: reading at age 7, teacher reports of ADHD and antisocial behaviors at age 7, self-ratings of ASC at ages 9 and 11, and teacher reports of ADHD and antisocial behaviors at age 13. The results indicated that ASC is an important construct that directly contributes to the development of antisocial behaviors rather than to symptoms of ADHD. The results also indicated that children's early history of behavioral problems and academic performance contribute to the development of a more robust understanding of the impact of ASC on the development of disruptive behaviors in early adolescence.
Perceptions and Knowledge of Preservice and Inservice Teachers About Early Literacy Instruction
Authors: Mather Nancy , Bos Candace , Babur Nalan
Published: December 2007

A major conclusion from the last decade of research on children with poor reading performance is that early, systematic instruction in phonological awareness and letter-sound correspondences improves early reading and spelling skills and results in a reduction of the number of students who are reading below grade level. To teach reading to at-risk students and students with learning disabilities, teachers need to have positive perceptions regarding the role of systematic, explicit instruction, as well as knowledge of English language structure. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions and knowledge of general educators at two professional levels toward early literacy instruction for students at risk for reading failure. Unfortunately, our findings are similar to those obtained by Moats in 1994: Many general education teachers, at both preservice and inservice levels, are not prepared adequately for this challenging task.
Reading Disability and Chromosome 6p21.3
Authors: Smith Shelley D. , Kelley Philip M. , Askew James W. , Hoover Denise M. , Deffenbacher Karen E. , Gayán Javier , Brower Amy M. , Olson Richard K.
Published: December 2007

Linkage analysis has localized a gene influencing specific reading disability (dyslexia) to 6p213. The myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) gene, which maps to this region, was selected as a candidate. Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein is a membrane protein, a member of the immunoglobin superfamily, that is found on the outermost lamellae of mature myelin. Although the exact function of this protein is unknown, its presence in the central nervous system and the hypothesized relationship between dyslexia and temporal processing rate as well as a suggested relationship with intelligence made this gene a candidate for dyslexia. Analysis of the coding exons and adjacent splice sites in a subset of 22 children with dyslexia from 10 sibships found a missense mutation in exon 4 in 2 of the sibships. This change from the published sequence also occurred in 86 of 96 random controls, making it considerably less frequent in this small sample of individuals with dyslexia. Subsequent typing of this single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in 74 nuclear families in which at least one child had reading disability showed no significant difference in frequency from the controls, however. Sib-pair linkage analysis with these families did not show significant linkage with the SNP nor with a separate polymorphic dinucleotide repeat marker in the MOG gene (MOG31/32), but association analysis identified two alleles of MOG31/32 that were associated with reading disability phenotypes with a low level of significance. Thus, although alleles in the MOG gene may be in linkage disequilibrium with a locus that contributes to reading disability, it is unlikely that the MOG gene itself is involved.
Math Learning Disability and Math LD Subtypes
Authors: Mazzocco Michèle M. M.
Published: December 2007

The present study examined whether indicators of math learning disability are observed m 5- and 6-year-olds with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and in 5- to 6-year-old girls with Turner syndrome or fragile X syndrome. Data from 14 girls with Turner syndrome, 9 girls with fragile X syndrome, and 11 children with NF1 were compared to data from control participants matched on age, sex, IQ score, and grade level. The results indicate that girls with fragile X syndrome or Turner syndrome are significantly more likely to have specific math difficulties relative to their control group, with a larger effect size demonstrated by the group with Turner syndrome. Young children with NF1 had a heterogeneous profile not suggestive of specific math disability. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for understanding math disability subtypes and the identification of math difficulty in the early school years.
Event-Related Potentials and Consonant Differentiation in Newborns with Familial Risk for Dyslexia
Authors: Guttorm Tomi K. , Leppänen Paavo H. T. , Richardson Ulla , Lyytinen Heikki
Published: December 2007

We measured event-related potentials (ERPs) to synthetic consonant-vowel syllables (/ba/, /da/, /ga/) from 26 newborns with familial risk for dyslexia and 23 control infants participating in the Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Dyslexia. The syllables were presented with equal probability and with interstimulus intervals ranging from 3,010 to 7,285 ms. Analyses of averaged ERPs from the latencies identified on the basis of principal component analysis (PCA) revealed significant group differences in stop-consonant processing in several latency ranges. At the latencies of 50-170 ms and 540-630 ms, the responses to /ga/ were larger and more positive than those to /ba/ and /da/ in the right hemisphere in the at-risk group. Between 740 and 940 ms, the responses to /ba/ and /da/ differed between anterior and posterior electrode sites in the control group. These results indicate that the cortical electric activation evoked by speech elements differs between children with and without risk for dyslexia even immediately after birth. Group-related effects at early and late latency ranges of ERPs suggest differences both in the early sound processing based on activation of afferent elements and in later phases of syllable encoding.
Executive Functions in Elementary School Children With and Without Problems in Written Expression
Authors: Hooper Stephen R. , Swartz Carl W. , Wakely Melissa B. , de Kruif Renée E. L. , Montgomery James W.
Published: December 2007

This study examined the executive functioning of 55 elementary school children with and without problems in written expression. Two groups reflecting children with and without significant writing problems were defined by an average primary trait rating across two separate narratives. The groups did not differ in terms of chronological age, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, special education status, or presence of attention problems or receptive vocabulary capabilities; however, they did differ in reading decoding ability, and this variable was controlled for in all analyses. Dependent measures included tasks tapping an array of executive functions grouped conceptually in accordance with a model of executive functioning reflecting the following domains: initiate, sustain, set shifting, and inhibition/stopping. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) procedures revealed statistically significant group differences on the initiation and set shift domains, with the sustaining domain approaching significance. Children with writing problems performed more poorly in each of these domains, although the effect sizes were small. A multiple regression that employed these four factors and the reading decoding variable to predict the primary trait score from the written narratives revealed a statistically significant regression function; however, reading decoding contributed most of the unique variance to the writing outcome. These findings point out the importance of executive functions in the written language process for elementary school students, but highlight the need to examine other variables when studying elementary school-age children with written expression problems.
Beginning Literacy
Authors: McCutchen Deborah , Abbott Robert D. , Green Laura B. , Beretvas S. Natasha , Cox Susanne , Potter Nina S. , Quiroga Teresa , Gray Audra L.
Published: December 2007

Although the importance of phonological awareness has been discussed widely in the research literature, the concept is not well understood by many classroom teachers. In the study described here, we worked with groups of kindergarten and first-grade teachers (the experimental group) during a 2-week summer institute and throughout the school year. We shared with them research about learning disabilities and effective instruction, stressing the importance of explicit instruction in phonological and orthographic awareness. We followed the experimental group and a control group into their classrooms for a year, assessing teachers' classroom practices and their students' ( n = 779) learning. The study yielded three major findings: We can deepen teachers' own knowledge of the role of phonological and orthographic information in literacy instruction; teachers can use that knowledge to change classroom practice; and changes in teacher knowledge and classroom practice can improve student learning.
The Socioemotional Adjustment of Adolescents with LD in the Kibbutz During High School Transition Periods
Authors: Tur-Kaspa Hana
Published: December 2007

This study examined several aspects of the socioemotional experiences (i.e., loneliness, social skills, reciprocal friendship, reciprocal rejection, and social status) of adolescents with and without learning disabilities in an Israeli kibbutz environment during school transition periods. The sample consisted of 106 students with learning disabilities (LD; 74 boys and 32 girls) and 101 students without learning disabilities (NLD; 62 boys and 39 girls) drawn from seventh grade (i.e., early adolescence) and ninth grade (i.e., middle adolescence). The results revealed that seventh- and ninth-grade adolescents with LD received more social peer rejection than did NLD group adolescents, and students with LD were judged by their teachers to exhibit lower social skills and higher behavioral problems than their classmates. No significant group differences were found on loneliness, but an age-related increase in loneliness feelings was noted, which was independent from group membership and gender. Gender differences on self-report, peer ratings, and teachers' ratings on social measures in favor of girls were demonstrated. The discussion focuses on the potential impact of school transitions and of the developmental environment provided in the kibbutz on adolescents' socioemotional functioning and adjustment.
Diagnostic Utility of the Learning Disability Index
Authors: Watkins Marley W. , Kush Joseph C. , Schaefer Barbara A.
Published: December 2007

The Learning Disability Index (LDI) is one of many diagnostic indicators proposed for the identification of students with learning disabilities that relies on patterns of performance on cognitive tests. The LDI is hypothesized to relate to students' specific neuropsychological deficits. The present study investigated the diagnostic utility of the LDI with the third edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children by comparing students previously diagnosed with learning disabilities ( n = 2,053) to students without learning disabilities (n = 2,200). Subsamples of youth with specific reading ( n = 445) and math (n = 168) disabilities permitted further assessment of the efficacy of the LDI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves revealed that the LDI resulted in a correct diagnostic decision only 55% to 64% of the time. These results demonstrate that the LDI is not a valid diagnostic indicator of learning disabilities.
Parent-, Teacher-, and Self-Rated Motivational Styles in ADHD Subtypes
Authors: Carlson Caryn L. , Booth Jane E. , Shin Misung , Canu Will H.
Published: December 2007

The motivational styles of 25 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, combined type (ADHD/C),13 children with ADHD, inattentive type (ADHD/IA), and 25 nondiagnosed controls (NC) were compared using parent, teacher, and self-ratings. Both ADHD subtypes demonstrated motivational impairment characterized by a preference for easy work, less enjoyment of learning, less persistence, and a greater reliance on external than on internal standards to judge their performance relative to NC. Some motivational style differences between ADHD subtypes were also revealed, with the ADHD/C group more motivated by competitiveness and a desire to be perceived as superior to others and the ADHD/IA group less uncooperative and possibly more passive in their learning styles. When IQ was statistically controlled, these results were generally unchanged. The contributing role of motivational deficits to the generally poor academic functioning of children with ADHD is discussed, along with potential intervention implications of the divergent motivational styles of different ADHD subtypes.
The Relationship Between Intelligence and Performance on the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA)
Authors: Weyandt Lisa L. , Mitzlaff Linda , Thomas Laura
Published: December 2007

The present study explored the relationship between the intelligence of young adults and their performance on the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA). The study also examined whether significant differences existed between adults with and without attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on TOVA errors of omission, errors of commission, mean correct response time, and variability, as well as on performance on the freedom from distractibility (FD) factor on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R). Seventy-nine adults participated in the study, including 17 with ADHD and 62 college students without ADHD. Pearson product-moment correlations indicated that none of the correlations between Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) and TOVA variables were significant. Analysis of variance results revealed that adults with ADHD made more errors of omission on the TOVA than did controls. Between-group differences were not found on the remaining dependent variables.
Understanding the Relations Between RAN Letter Subtest Components and Word Reading in First-Grade Students
Authors: Neuhaus Graham F. , Swank Paul R.
Published: December 2007

First-grade students (N = 221) were individually tested on a battery of cognitive and achievement measures of verbal fluency, visual attention, phonological awareness, orthographic recognition, rapid automatized naming (RAN) of letters and objects, and reading. All tests were subjected to postacquisition scoring, and all RAN measures were segregated into measures of articulation time, pause time, and consistency of the pause time. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that word reading was directly and significantly predicted by RAN letter naming and general RAN cognitive processing time of objects. Moreover, RAN letter reading constructs were significantly and directly predicted by the latent variables of phonological awareness, orthographic recognition, and general RAN object articulation and cognitive processing times. RAN letter naming constructs were also significantly and indirectly predicted by visual attention. The reading model was found to be consistent with a total mediation of the relation of phonological awareness and reading through RAN letter naming and supported the validity of the RAN letter naming subtest as a basic letter reading test. These findings supported the double-deficit hypothesis for letter reading. We suggest that phonological memory is a basic factor underlying general RAN cognitive processing time of objects and domain-specific information associated with phonemes and their graphic representations.
Wage Differentials Between College Graduates With and Without Learning Disabilities
Authors: Dickinson David L. , Verbeek Roelant L.
Published: December 2007

Wage differential studies examining legally protected groups typically focus on gender or racial differences. Legislation also fully protects individuals with learning disabilities (LD). This article is the first to decompose wage differentials between adults with and without LD. An original data set of college graduates with documented LD was constructed, and these individuals were compared to a control group from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY). Our results show that much of the observed lower wages for individuals with LD is due to differences in productivity characteristics. However, there is an unexplained portion of the wage gap that could possibly be considered wage discrimination against individuals with LD. This possibility seems smaller due to the fact that the subsample of the employers who knew of the employee's learning disabilities did not appear to pay significantly lower wages to these individuals. Alternative hypotheses are discussed, as are sample-specific issues.
Depressive Symptoms in and Type of Classroom Placement for Adolescents with LD
Authors: Howard Karen A. , Tryon Georgiana Shick
Published: December 2007

This study investigated the relationship of depressive symptomatology to type of classroom placement in a sample of adolescents with learning disabilities who attended an urban public high school. Fifty-two students, half of whom were in self-contained classrooms and half of whom were in general education classrooms with resource room, self-rated their depressive symptoms. Their guidance counselors also rated these students' depressive symptoms. Self-ratings of depression did not differ depending on classroom placement. Guidance counselors rated students with learning disabilities who were in general education classrooms as more depressed than students placed in self-contained classes.
A Comparison of Multiple Methods for the Identification of Children with Reading Disabilities
Authors: Sofie Cecilia A. , Riccio Cynthia A.
Published: December 2007

There has been considerable discussion of the methods used for the identification of children with reading disabilities. This study examined three different methods that could be used in the identification of children with reading disabilities and their consistency with teacher ratings of behaviors believed to be associated with reading disabilities. Standardized, norm-referenced measures of achievement, phonological processing measures, and curriculum-based measures of reading fluency were used with 40 children in Grades 1 and 2. Comparisons were made to determine which measures, if any, differentiated between children referred for reading disabilities (n = 20) and children who were progressing typically in reading in their general education classroom settings (n = 20). The results indicated significant between-group differences on standardized, norm-referenced measures of reading recognition, word attack, and comprehension; phonological measures of blending nonwords and elision; and reading fluency. Teacher ratings on the Dyslexia Screening Instrument were consistent with teacher beliefs regarding children's progress in reading. All measures were found to correlate significantly with each other. However, correlations were generally in the moderate range, suggesting that the measures used did not measure the same reading skills or, in the case of phonological processing, the underlying abilities believed to be necessary for reading. Given the differences in tasks and the moderate correlations, it is likely that the choice of measures may affect the conclusions reached regarding a student's reading ability.
The Effectiveness of a Highly Explicit, Teacher-Directed Strategy Instruction Routine
Authors: Troia Gary A. , Graham Steve
Published: December 2007

This study examined the effectiveness of a highly explicit, teacher-directed instructional routine used to teach three planning strategies for writing to fourth and fifth graders with learning disabilities. In comparison to peers who received process writing instruction, children who were taught the three planning strategies—goal setting, brainstorming, and organizing—spent more time planning stories in advance of writing and produced stories that were qualitatively better. One month after the end of instruction, students who had been taught the strategies not only maintained their advantage in story quality but also produced longer stories than those produced by their peers who were taught process writing. However, the highly explicit, teacher-directed strategy instructional routine used in this study did not promote transfer to an uninstructed genre, persuasive essay writing. These findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to effective writing instruction practices for students with learning disabilities.
Using Graphic Organizers to Attain Relational Knowledge From Expository Text
Authors: DiCecco Vonnie M. , Gleason Mary M.
Published: December 2007

Many students with learning disabilities (LD) experience difficulties with extracting relationships from expository text, especially if they are implicit. Results from studies with K—12 participants have been inconclusive regarding the potency of the graphic organizer (GO) as a comprehension tool. This study attempted to address some of the concerns with GO research by examining the effects of using GOs with middle school students with LD to convey and cue relational knowledge, using a longer intervention and using written essays to assess the students' attainment of relational knowledge. The results lend support for using GOs with students with LD to gain relational knowledge from expository textbooks. When factual knowledge was assessed via multiple choice tests and quizzes, no differences were found between treatment and control conditions. As in other GO studies, both groups demonstrated attainment of facts and concepts. But when relational knowledge was assessed, the two groups responded differentially. On essays that required application, the GO group provided significantly more relational knowledge statements than students in the No GO group did.
The Swedish WAIS-R Factor Structure and Cognitive Profiles for Adults with Dyslexia
Authors: Alm Jan , Kaufman Alan S.
Published: December 2007

Factor analysis of the Swedish version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS-R) on a group of 88 adult individuals with dyslexia showed a three-factor structure with a verbal comprehension (VC) factor, a perceptual organization (PO) factor, and a freedom from distractibility (FD) factor. The results of this factor analysis support earlier findings from factor analyses of adults in the original U.S. normative sample and in different clinical groups. The profile of scores for the sample of individuals with dyslexia showed the expected pattern, with PO highest and FD lowest. The predicted pattern was also observed using Bannatyne's recategorization of WAIS-R subtests. As has been true for other typical and exceptional samples, women scored significantly higher than men on the Digit Symbol subtest. Related to this gender difference, Digit Symbol scores proved to be sensitive to problems associated with dyslexia only for men with dyslexia. Also, education level was shown to be related to verbal (V)—performance (P) IQ discrepancy, with larger P > V differences observed for participants with fewer years of formal schooling. Regardless of these gender and education differences, the characteristic factor score and Bannatyne patterns were identified for both men and women and for three different subsamples categorized by educational level.
Employment Self-Disclosure of Postsecondary Graduates with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Madaus Joseph W. , Foley Teresa E. , McGuire Joan M. , Ruban Lilia M.
Published: December 2007

One hundred thirty-two graduates with learning disabilities (LD) of a large, public, competitive postsecondary institution were surveyed to determine if they had self-disclosed their LD to their current employer and to provide the reasons for choosing to self-disclose or not to self-disclose. Based on a response rate of 67.4% ( n = 89), the results indicated that 86.5% of the respondents were employed full time. Although nearly 90% of the respondents stated that their LD affected their work in some way, only 30.3% self-disclosed to their employer. Of those who had not self-disclosed, the majority reported that there was no reason or need to self-disclose. However, 46.1% reported not self-disclosing due to fear of a potentially negative impact in the workplace or due to a concern for job security. Specific rationales for disclosure and information related to the use of self-reported accommodations and strategies are presented.
The Accuracy of Academic Self-Evaluations in Adolescents with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Stone C. Addison , May Alison L.
Published: December 2007

The purpose of this study was to document the degree of overestimation of academic skills among students with learning disabilities (LD) and to evaluate the role of reference group and metacognitive awareness in such overestimation. High school students with ( n = 52) and without ( n = 49) LD in Grades 9 through 12 completed a self-concept scale and a survey requiring them to rate their own academic skills in 17 specific skill areas. Students were further asked to predict their performance on two academic tasks prior to actually performing the tasks. The students' mothers or fathers, their English teachers or academic advisors, and (in the case of the students with LD) their special education case managers also completed the skill rating inventory and predicted student performance on the two tests. Despite reporting significantly lower academic self-concepts, students with LD overestimated their academic skills relative to the ratings of others and to their actual test performance. Such overestimation was less pronounced among the students without LD. All participants reported using similar reference groups in making their judgments. Analyses of item-by-item accuracy judgments from the two tests revealed evidence of group differences in metacognitive awareness that may be related to the overestimation. These findings have implications for realistic goal setting and effective self-advocacy.
Information Processing Deficits in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Inattentive Type, and Children with Reading Disability
Authors: Weiler Michael David , Bernstein Jane Holmes , Bellinger David , Waber Deborah P.
Published: December 2007

We examined the information processing capabilities of children diagnosed with the inattentive subtype of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who had been characterized as having a sluggish cognitive tempo. Children referred for school-related problems ( n = 81) and nonreferred community controls ( n = 149) participated. Of the referred children, 24 met criteria for ADHD, 42 met criteria for reading disability (RD), and 9 of these were comorbid for RD and ADHD. Children with ADHD differed from those without ADHD on a visual search task but not on an auditory processing task; the reverse was true for children with RD. Decomposition of the visual search task into component operations demonstrated that children in the ADHD group had a slow processing rate that was not attributable to inattention. The children with ADHD were not globally poor at information processing or inattentive, but they demonstrated diminished speed of visual processing.
IDEA and Collaboration
Authors: Weatherly Valle Jan , Aponte Elsie
Published: December 2007

In accordance with the Bakhtinian framework of this article, the text represents a dialogue between practices documented in the literature; the first author's perspective as a teacher, evaluator, and consultant; Bakhtin's theories of language; and the lived experiences of the second author, a parent whose child has been labeled as having a language learning disability. Although the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants parents the right to be involved in educational decisions about their children, we argue that the routine disqualification of parents' voices by school professionals is a major obstacle to authentic collaboration. Bakhtin's theories of language serve to illuminate the discourse between parents and professionals in special education committee meetings. We conclude with our vision for a mutual dialogic exchange between parents and professionals.