bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Review of Social Interventions for Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: McIntosh Ruth , Vaughn Sharon , Zaragoza Nina
Published: December 2008

Twenty-two studies are reviewed that report the effects of social skills training and intervention with 572 children identified as learning disabled between 5 and 19 years of age. These studies are reviewed to examine characteristics and components of intervention effectiveness. Age and sex of subjects, grade grouping, group size, intervention duration, intervention procedures, subject selection, and type of interventional model are examined to find patterns that reflect intervention success. Several intervention characteristics and components are associated with social intervention effectiveness: selecting subjects who had social skills difficulties or low peer acceptance, using cognitive-behavioral intervention procedures, providing individual or small group instruction, and applying long-term intervention and training. Discussion focuses on difficulties in comparing studies to determine intervention effectiveness through the examination of outcome measures, a call for revisions in future reporting of social interventions in the literature, and those intervention factors that relate to increases in peer acceptance.
The Form and Substance of Secondary Resource Models: Content Area Versus Skill Instruction
Authors: McKenzie Robert G.
Published: December 2008

The provision of core content coursework instruction by secondary learning disability (LD) teachers has increased dramatically in recent years. This article describes the results of a study that compared the perceptions of 48 LD content teachers and 45 basic skills teachers concerning (a) their relationship with the mainstream, (b) curricular structure, (c) instructional methodology, and (d) the behavioral characteristics of their students. Differences in the teachers' judgments were evaluated by t tests. Results indicated that, despite pronounced differences in caseloads and class sizes, the two groups are very similar in how they evaluate their instructional emphases. The data also indicate that the groups differ not so much in how they teach as in how they perceive their interactions and their students' with the mainstream.
Psychopharmacological Intervention. II: Teacher Perceptions of Psychotropic Medication for Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Epstein Michael H. , Singh Nirbhay N. , Luebke Jerry , Stout Chris E.
Published: December 2008

The perceptions, knowledge, and opinions of 104 teachers of students with learning disabilities regarding medication used with their students were investigated. The students' doctors were perceived as the professionals primarily responsible for making the decision to have the student either placed on or taken off medication. The teachers indicated that global impressions and direct behavioral observations were used to assess the effects of medication but that they would prefer to use behavioral observations and rating scales. Hyperactivity and delusions/hallucinations were perceived as the problems most likely to lead to medication. Less than 15% of the teachers indicated that their professional preservice training had provided them with sufficient information on the use of medication for children with behavior problems, and less than 20% had a similar opinion regarding their inservice training on the same topic.
Positive Mood and Math Performance
Authors: Bryan Tanis , Bryan James
Published: December 2008

Two studies are reported that assessed the impact of positive moods on students' feelings of self-efficacy and math performance. In the first study, 32 black and Hispanic girls and boys in the third to fifth grades, who had been identified by teachers as at risk for school failure, and a control sample of normally achieving classmates served as subjects. In the second study, 15 males and 3 females in junior high and high school attending a private school for students with learning disabilities served as subjects. In both studies, students were randomly assigned to a positive-mood induction condition or a no-treatment control condition. Following this, they completed a measure of self-efficacy for math and were then given 5 minutes to do 50 math problems. In both studies, analyses of covariance using standardized math scores as the adjustor variable found that children in the positive-mood condition completed significantly more problems accurately than children in the no-treatment control condition. In addition, in the junior high and high school sample, students in the positive-mood induction condition expressed greater self-efficacy for math than students in the control condition. The results of these two studies raise many questions about the role of affect, positive and negative, in the learning and performance of students with learning disabilities that researchers and teachers might explore.
A Review of States' Criteria and Procedures for Identifying Children with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Frankenberger William , Fronzaglio Kathryn
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether (a) states have altered their definitions and/or eligibility criteria for learning disabilities (LD) since the last review; (b) states have specified-IQ cutoffs below which a child would not be eligible for LD services; (c) the types of methods states use to quantify an ability/achievement discrepancy vary; and (d) an increase in the number of children identified as LD is related to the method or criterion used to quantify an ability/achievement discrepancy. States' guidelines and/or information obtained from state directors of special education were analyzed for all states and the District of Columbia. Results of the review revealed that 40% of states had revised their guidelines between 1988 and 1990; 76% of the states specified a method for determining an ability/achievement discrepancy and the method recommended most frequently was the standard score comparison method. No significant differences were obtained between type of discrepancy method employed by a state and its yearly increase in LD. However, a significant relationship existed between magnitude of a state's ability/achievement criterion and its yearly increase in LD from 1987-88 to 1988--89. The review also revealed an increase in the number of states that specified an IQ cutoff below which a student would not qualify for LD services.
Effects of Reading and Writing on Cerebral Laterality in Good Readers and Children with Dyslexia
Authors: Kershner John R. , Stringer Ronald W.
Published: December 2008

The present study evaluated the idea that the hemisphere-specific cognitive demands of reading and writing may induce task-specific maladaptive patterns of language lateralization in children with dyslexia. Situation-specific lateralization was examined in a repeated measures design under three dichotic listening conditions: baseline, concurrent reading, and concurrent writing. Twelve males with phonological dyslexia, 8 to 12 years old, were compared to 12 age-matched and 12 younger reading-matched good readers. Lateralization patterns were examined for condition-specific relationships to pseudoword decoding, word recognition, reading comprehension, spelling, and arithmetic. The results show that dyslexia is not related to incomplete lateralization or to a failure to inhibit verbal processing in the right hemisphere during reading and writing. Reading increased the lateralization of the children with dyslexia, which had a negative relation to arithmetic; writing caused a decrease in lateralization, which was linked specifically to deficits in phonological decoding and visual word recognition. The results suggest that children with dyslexia suffer from a selective linguistic vulnerability to left-hemisphere interference from the idiosyncratic attentional and processing demands of particular school tasks. Dyslexia is a much more dynamic and environmentally sensitive disorder than previously thought.
Qualitative Descriptions of Error Recovery Patterns Across Reading Level and Sentence Type: An Eye Movement Analysis
Authors: Fletcher James
Published: December 2008

Purposes of the present study included describing a variety of error recovery patterns based on eye movement (EM) measures of sentence parsing across reading level and error type. A qualitative pattern analysis of EM mappings was completed for students with reading disabilities (n = 10) and nondisabled students (n = 10) who were parsing control and erred sentences. Independent variables included error type (syntactically ambiguous, semantically anomalous, and control sentences) and reading proficiency level. Dependent variables consisted of seven eye movement measures. Chi-square analyses were performed to examine group differences across frequencies per pattern. Results suggest that the error recovery strategies deployed by both groups were similar in pattern and frequency; patterns were largely organized, strategic, and efficient, as predicted. Evidence for seven newly defined strategies was found, with indications of multiple strategies within sentences by both groups. Strategies tended to be error "reanalysis" (vs. "recovery") heuristics, in that readers from both groups used regressions to reanalyze regions of inconsistency rather than regions of disambiguation. Earlier conclusions regarding disorganized processing and individual differences among adolescents with reading disabilities are discussed.
The Written Composing Ability of Children with Learning Disabilities: A Review of the Literature From 1980 to 1990
Authors: Newcomer Phyllis L. , Barenbaum Edna M.
Published: December 2008

This article reviews the literature pertaining to the written composing ability of students with learning disabilities that was published primarily in the decade from 1980 to 1990. The papers included are either reports of research or discussions of instructional procedures that are based on research. The topics addressed include story composition, expository writing, training/intervention research, and rationales/procedures for instruction.
Designing Assessment Procedures for Educationally At-Risk Southeast Asian-American Students
Authors: Dao Mai
Published: December 2008

This article discusses unique conditions of educational risk in the Southeast Asian American student population. It points out the need to help traumatized refugee students deal with emotional difficulties before they can benefit from instruction. It includes a framework for assessing Southeast Asian-American students in which a shift in current assessment goals and practices is proposed. The article also addresses the issue of identifying skills previously developed in a different environment and explores an approach to help refugee children make the transition into the academic context.
Children with Language Disorders
Authors: Bashir Anthony S. , Scavuzzo Annebelle
Published: December 2008

Children with developmental language disorders pose specific and unique problems for educators. This article addresses the continuing academic vulnerability of these children during the school years. We advance the position that their academic vulnerability results from the lifelong need to acquire language, to learn with language, and to apply language knowledge for academic learning and social development. Issues are addressed that relate to persistence of language deficits and learning in school.
Language Abilities, Reading Acquisition, and Developmental Dyslexia
Authors: Sawyer Diane J.
Published: December 2008

Tests of a model of the expected relationships between language abilities and reading achievement measures from the beginning of kindergarten through third grade are discussed. At kindergarten, more global language abilities influenced early, wholistic measures of reading achievement, including letter and number naming. At Grade 1, these earlier accomplishments had a direct effect on word recognition, but a second direct effect was also apparent for word and phoneme segmentation measured in kindergarten. Comprehension at Grade 1 was influenced primarily by word recognition abilities at the same time. At Grade 2, comprehension influenced word recognition; at Grade 3, word recognition and comprehension were essentially independent. These findings are considered in the context of Frith's three-phase hypothesis of reading acquisition. A rationale for testing the potential of training in auditory segmentation to modulate the effects of developmental dyslexia is presented.
The Status of Metalinguistic Skills in Reading Development
Authors: Hodgson James
Published: December 2008

Diane Sawyer (this issue) presents an account of reading development and its disabilities that stresses the contribution of a hierarchy of metalinguistic skills in the segmentation and manipulation of speech. Two of her central claims are discussed: (1) Failure to master the productive relationship between spelling and sound may often originate in difficulty in the prerequisite ability to carry out phonemic segmentation; the population so affected may include both “true” and “apparent” types of dyslexia, with rather different prognoses; and (2) a range of hierarchically and temporally organized sublexical metalinguistic speech skills govern the timecourse of reading development. Evidence from cognitive neuropsychological case reports is reviewed for its bearing on these claims and for its implications for the strong metalinguistic hypothesis, which contends that explicit, conscious mastery of the relationship between phonology and orthography is a necessary (and perhaps sufficient) precondition for the development of fluent reading.
A Comparative Study of the Learning Style Preferences of Students with Learning Disabilities and Students Who Are Gifted
Authors: Yong Fung L. , McIntyre John D.
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether significant group, gender, and grade differences existed in the learning style preferences of students with learning disabilities and students who are gifted, using the Learning Style Inventory (LSI) (Dunn, Dunn, & Price, 1987). Subjects consisted of 53 students with learning disabilities and 64 gifted students randomly selected from two large public high schools. They were 10th-, 11th-, and 12th-grade students, aged 15 to 17. A three-way analysis of variance on the LSI raw scores revealed significant group differences in preferences for light, design, and kinesthetic modality, and in motivation, persistence, responsibility, parent motivation, and teacher motivation. Significant gender and grade differences were found in preferences for mobility and learning in the afternoon, respectively. A stepwise discriminant analysis revealed six variables that significantly discriminated between the two groups. Findings imply that incorporating the learning styles of students with learning disabilities and students who are gifted is important for individualizing educational programming.
Lexical and Nonlexical Routes
Authors: Beech John R. , Awaida May
Published: December 2008

This study investigated qualitative differences in poor readers relative to normally achieving readers of the same reading level. Thirty-eight 9-year-old poor readers and forty 7- and 8-year-old reading-age-matched normally achieving readers from the United Kingdom were matched in phonemic processing and then given tests of memory span and visual discrimination of letterlike characters, were required to read different word types (regular, exception, and pseudoword), and were asked to complete a homophonic pseudoword test. The poor readers were worse at reading pseudowords compared to the controls, but this difference was unrelated to phonemic length or number of letters, or to the ease of producing analogies for the pseudowords. The results suggest that although there are no differences with reading-age controls in phonological processing, poor readers have worse grapheme-phoneme conversion skills and greater reluctance to relinquish the lexical route when appropriate. The results also showed that poor readers were slightly better at visual discrimination but had poorer memory spans.
The Effects of Cognitive and Metacognitive Strategy Instruction on the Mathematical Problem Solving of Middle School Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Montague Marjorie
Published: December 2008

This study investigated the effects of cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction on the mathematical problem solving of six middle school students with learning disabilities. Conditions of the multiple baseline, across-subjects design included baseline, two levels of treatment, setting and temporal generalization, and retraining. For Treatment 1, subjects received either cognitive or metacognitive strategy instruction. Treatment 2 consisted of instruction in the complementary component of the instructional program so that all subjects eventually received both cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction. This design allowed a componential analysis of the content as well as sequence of instruction. Generally, subjects improved their mathematical problem solving as measured by performance on one-, two-, and three-step word problems. Discussion focused on effectiveness of treatment, acquisition and application of strategic knowledge, error pattern analysis, and the need to tailor instruction to the learner's individual characteristics.
Metacognitive Theory
Authors: Borkowski John G.
Published: December 2008

This set of articles-on the three Rs-has provided us with innovative, wide-ranging perspectives on how teachers can enhance academic performance. I could devote considerable space to emphasizing the many positive aspects in each of the three major articles. However, the commentators have done a fine job in pinpointing strengths and identifying limitations associated with each position paper. Hence, my goal is to draw the three articles into a more coherent and unified perspective, based in large part on recent advances in metacognitive theory. I will develop three themes:

(1) self-regulation as the centerpiece of strategy-based instruction;

(2) the reciprocal relationship between self-regulated learning and beliefs about the “self” as a learner; and

(3) “working models” and their role in classroom teaching. Hopefully, having stated my case as succinctly as possible, connections will emerge between my preferred metacognitive framework and the major themes in the accompanying articles.
The Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms in Children with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Wright-Strawderman Carol , Watson Billy L.
Published: December 2008

Learning difficulties have been considered to be a symptom of childhood depression by some authors, whereas others have examined depression as a cause of cognitive difficulties, including learning disabilities (LD). This study examined the prevalence of depressive symptoms in a sample of public school elementary children aged 8 through 11, 37 boys and 16 girls, identified as LD by state standards. Of the sample of 53 children, 35.85% scored in the depressed range on the Children's Depression Inventory. Comparison of the children's self-reports and parents' reports of depressive symptoms in their children was not significant. Implications of the results are discussed relative to the role of school personnel and the assessment process in recognizing depressive symptoms in students with LD.
Mental Flexibility and Planning Skills in Children and Adolescents with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Snow Jeffrey H.
Published: December 2008

Mental flexibility (skill with shifting response set) and visual planning skills were examined with a group of 60 children and adolescents with learning disabilities. The sample consisted of 44 boys and 16 girls with an age range of 9 to 15. Scores from the Trail Making Test and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test were cluster-analyzed and subgroups were formulated. The results of the cluster analysis indicated a two-group solution to be most appropriate. One subtype was clearly dysfunctional on the classifying variables, while the other subgroup approached average levels. The two subtypes were compared on measures of intellectual functions, academic skills, auditory memory, visual memory, visual-motor integration, motor speed, and tactile integration. Significance was found on several different tests. The results are discussed in terms of potential cortical dysfunction evidenced by the subgroups.
Letters to the Editor
Authors: Lenses Irlen
Published: December 2008

Dear Dr. Wiederholt: Thank you for including my comments on Blaskey et al.'s article, “The Effectiveness of Irlen Filters for Improving Reading Performance: A Pilot Study” (JLD, December 1990) in the Letters to the Editor (JLD, November 1991). There is one error, however, in the copy.
Cluster Analysis of Children and Adolescents with Brain Damage and Learning Disabilities Using Neuropsychological, Psychoeducational, and Sociobehavioral Variables
Authors: Williams Dorothy L. , Gridley Betty E. , Fitzhugh-Bell Kathleen
Published: December 2008

The purpose of the study was to employ psychoeducational, neuropsychological, and sociobehavioral (Conners Rating Scale) variables in determining if definable subtypes exist within a diverse population of subjects with learning disabilities (LD) and documented brain damage. The sample of 95 subjects (27% female and 73% male) had been referred for neuropsychological assessment at a large, Midwestern medical center. Mean age was 10.6 years. Brain damage (BD) was documented for 45% of the sample. The first cluster analysis employed neuropsychological, psychoeducational, and sociobehavioral data and revealed four interpretable clusters. A second cluster analysis excluded sociobehavioral data and yielded two interpretable clusters. In neither analysis did a cluster consist exclusively of BD or LD subjects. Results were interpreted as supporting the importance of the sociobehavioral component in LD subtyping, as well as supporting the contention that parallels may exist in cerebral function and/or structure between the LD and BD classifications.
A Canadian Perspective on Learning Disabilities
Authors: Wiener Judith , Siegel Linda
Published: December 2008

Canadian practice and research with children and adults with learning disabilities are described and analyzed. After an examination of the historical basis for current practice, the societal and cultural factors affecting education of children with learning disabilities, services for adults, and research are discussed. It was found that policy and legislation regarding special education vary considerably from province to province, and identification practices and service delivery models vary even within provinces. The fact that Canada has two official languages (English and French), a large multicultural community, and a Native population with special needs often arising from poverty has an impact on the education of children with learning disabilities and on sample description in research. Although school-age children are relatively well served, services for preschool children and adults with learning disabilities are minimal. The positive features of Canadian service delivery are that most programs are publicly funded, decision making tends to be nonadversarial and collaborative, and the needs of the whole child are typically considered.
A German Perspective on Learning Disabilities
Authors: Opp Günther
Published: December 2008

German practices in the field of learning disabilities beyond preschool level are described in the context of their historical formation. In a historical perspective it becomes obvious that the German notion of Lernbehinderung, although being just a translation of “learning disabilities,” differs markedly from the American definition. Definitional problems, educational practices, and emerging trends in the German field of “learning disabilities” are discussed.
William Butler Yeats
Authors: Miner Marylou , Siegel Linda S.
Published: December 2008

Several of my uncles and aunts had tried to teach me to read, and because they could not, and because I was much older than children who read easily, had come to think, as I have learnt since, that I had not all my faculties. (Yeats, 1965, p. 14)
The MMPI-2 Profile of Adults with Learning Disabilities in University and Rehabilitation Settings
Authors: Gregg Noel , Hoy Cheri , King Michael , Moreland Carolyn , Jagota Meera
Published: December 2008

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the personality profiles of adults with learning disabilities attending a large state university (8 females, 8 males) to those participating in training programs in a rehabilitation setting (8 females, 18 males), in an attempt to identify affective variables that should be considered in transitional and postsecondary program planning. A secondary purpose of the study was to compare the performance of two groups of adults with learning disabilities (i.e., university and rehabilitation) to a normative group of college students. The mean age for all subjects was between 20 and 23 years. Findings from the study indicated that the personality profiles of individuals with learning disabilities in either a rehabilitation setting or seeking a university degree are significantly different from those of the normative population of normally achieving college students. The rehabilitation group in this study demonstrated feelings of social isolation, poor self-concept, self-doubt, and extreme restlessness. Somewhat different profiles were seen with the university group as they indicated feelings of fear, obsessive thoughts, lack of self-confidence, self-doubt, and extreme self-criticism. Both groups demonstrated profiles of individuals under extreme short-and long-term stress leading to anxiety. The study also reviewed the relevance and appropriateness of using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) that will have direct application for the assessment and intervention of adults with learning disabilities either in a rehabilitation setting or seeking a university degree.
The Postschool Adjustment of Persons with Learning Disabilities: Current Status and Future Projections
Authors: White Warren J.
Published: December 2008

Recent research on the adult status of individuals with learning disabilities was reviewed. It was found that learning disabilities persist into adulthood, that manifestations of learning disabilities in adulthood are different than in childhood, and that many adults with learning disabilities are not independent or self-sufficient. These findings are related to the changes American society is currently undergoing, particularly changes in the workplace. Implications for teachers are discussed.
Autonomy and Competence as Motivational Factors in Students with Learning Disabilities and Emotional Handicaps
Authors: Deci Edward L. , Hodges Rosemary , Pierson Louisa , Tomassone Joseph
Published: December 2008

Over 450 students (136 elementary, 321 junior and senior high school) with primary handicapping codes of learning disability (LD) or emotional handicap (EH) completed several questionnaires. All participants were from self-contained classrooms of a state-operated special education system. Questionnaires assessed students' self-perceptions and perceptions of home and classroom contexts, with all variables theoretically reflecting either the competence or the autonomy aspects of internal motivation or students' personal adjustment. Math and reading standardized achievement test scores were obtained from school records. Using multiple regression analyses, students' achievement and adjustment were predicted from the motivationally relevant self-perception and perception-of-context variables. Interestingly, different patterns of relations emerged for the students with LD and EH.
The Neurobiology and Neuropsychology of Adult Learning Disorders
Authors: Bigler Erin D.
Published: December 2008

The area of adult learning disabilities is reviewed from a neurobiological and neuropsychological perspective. The several contributions of Galaburda's neuroanatomic studies, Duffy's neurophysiohgic findings, and recent magnetic resonance imaging studies have illustrated various possible pathophysiologic bases in dyslexia and are reviewed along with other neurobehavioral disorders that may coexist with learning disorders. Neuropsychological assessment methods in evaluating learning disabilities are reviewed and test results in a case of traumatically induced dyslexia are compared to those obtained in three adults with residual developmental dyslexia. The problems associated with treatment of adult learning disorders are discussed in the context of brain plasticity and recovery of function from the perspective of a brain-injury model. Lastly, the basis common to neurologic factors subserving learning disability and emotional dysfunction is explored.
The Validity of Discrepancy Criteria for Identifying Children with Developmental Language Disorders
Authors: Aram Dorothy M. , Morris Robin , Hall Nancy E.
Published: December 2008

Empirical data from two studies address the clinical validity of discrepancy criteria for identification of children with developmental language disorders (DLD). Study 1 involved 256 preschoolers clinically defined as DLD and meeting inclusionary criteria for normal hearing intellectual, neurological, and psychiatric status. Application of alternative psychometrically derived discrepancy criteria identified only 40% to 60% of the clinically defined group as language disordered. Study 2 applied nonverbal IQ-language performance discrepancy criteria to 368 eight-year-old, randomly selected control subjects, resulting in over 45% of the controls being identified as DLD. Factors contributing to underidentification in Study 1 and over-identification in Study 2 are discussed, raising questions regarding the validity of discrepancy criteria for identification of DLD children.
The Validity of Discrepancy-Based Definitions of Reading Disabilities
Authors: Fletcher Jack M. , Francis David J. , Rourke Byron P. , Shaywitz Sally E. , Shaywitz Bennett A.
Published: December 2008

This study addressed the validity of distinguishing children with reading disabilities according to the presence or absence of discrepancies between intelligence test scores and academic achievement. Three definitions of reading disability were used to provide criteria for five groups of children who (a) met a discrepancy-based definition uncorrected for the correlation of IQ and achievement; (b) met a discrepancy-based definition correcting for the correlation of IQ and achievement; (c) met a low achievement definition with no IQ discrepancy; (d) met criteria a and b; and (e) met none of the criteria and had no reading disability. Comparison of these five groups on a set of 10 neuropsychological tests corrected for correlations with IQ showed that group differences were small and accounted for little of the variability among groups. These results question the validity of segregating children with reading deficiencies according to discrepancies with IQ scores.
Pedigree Analysis of Children with Phonology Disorders
Authors: Lewis Barbara A.
Published: December 2008

This study examined 87 pedigrees of individuals with histories of preschool phonology disorders. Results confirmed previous reports that speech and language disorders aggregate in families, with a higher incidence of males affected than females. Significantly more family members with dyslexia and learning disabilities, but not stuttering or hearing impairment, were found in pedigrees of individuals with phonology disorders than in pedigrees of nondisabled individuals. Probands with and without additional language problems did not differ in the incidence of affected family members. Nuclear family members demonstrated a higher incidence of disorders than when all family members were considered, with brothers of probands most often affected. Pedigrees of female probands had more affected members in their nuclear families than pedigrees of male probands.
Discrepancy Compared to Low Achievement Definitions of Reading Disability
Authors: Shaywitz Bennett A. , Fletcher Jack M. , Holahan John M. , Shaywitz Sally E.
Published: December 2008

We used data derived from a survey sample, the Connecticut Longitudinal Study (CLS), to compare two commonly employed definitions of reading disability: a discrepancy-based model (D) and a low reading achievement model (L). We identified children satisfying each definition in second grade and compared the groups retrospectively in kindergarten and prospectively in fifth grade using parent-based, teacher-based, and child-based measures. Our findings suggest more similarities than differences between the reading disabled groups. The most salient differences were those related to ability and seem inherent in the definitions of the groups: Children identified as D have significantly higher verbal, performance, and full scale IQ scores than those identified as L. These findings suggest that both groups of children with reading disability, that is, those defined by either D or L, should be considered eligible for special education services.
Minor Neurological Dysfunction Is More Closely Related to Learning Difficulties than to Behavioral Problems
Authors: Hadders-Algra Mijna , Touwen Bert C.L.
Published: December 2008

In a group of 570 nine-year-old children (315 boys and 255 girls) without an overtly handicapping neurological condition, relationships were studied between the presence of minor neurological dysfunction (MND) on the one hand and cognitive and behavioral problems on the other hand. The aim of the study was to investigate whether MND was more closely related to learning problems than to behavioral difficulties. The group was a subpopulation of the birth cohort of the Groningen Perinatal Project in the Netherlands, in which perinatal developmental relationships are studied. The age-specific and standardized neurological examination technique of Touwen (1979) was used, resulting in a description of the neurological condition in terms of the number of deviant clusters. The absence of deviant clusters indicated a normal neurological condition (n=418); children with one or two deviant clusters were classified as MND-1 (n=86) and those with more than two deviant clusters as MND-2 (n=66). The presence and severity of MND was significantly related to poor performance on standardized reading, spelling, and arithmetic tests. MND was also related to ratings of distractible behavior on parent and teacher questionnaires, but to a lesser extent than the cognitive problems. Ratings of so-called “troublesome” and “timid” behavior were not related to MND. Our conclusion is that learning problems are more closely related to MND than are behavioral difficulties. This has implications for prevention and intervention: In the former the focus should be more on biological hazards, in the latter on environment and rearing attitudes.
Similarities in the Social Competencies of Learning Disabled and Low Achieving Elementary School Children
Authors: Coleman J. Michael , McHam Laura Angevine , Minnett Ann M.
Published: December 2008

This study sought to examine distinctions in social competencies between children with learning disabilities (LD) and other children who also experience academic difficulties. Eighty-five children with LD (54 male, 31 female) in Grades 3 through 6 from a large urban school district were compared to a group of low achieving (LA) peers matched on achievement as well as sex, race, and grade. The samples were 42% black, 39% Hispanic, and 19% Anglo. Both groups completed two self-concept questionnaires, a loneliness scale, and a measure of their social relationships outside of school. In addition, their classmates completed a peer rating scale and their teachers completed two ratings of the child's social skills. The results indicated that children with LD and LA children were comparable on most measures, although children with LD reported themselves as being less lonely than LA children. In addition, regular-class children rated children with LD as more likable than LA children. The results highlight similarities in the social competencies of children with LD and LA children and suggest that special education classes may offer some social advantages to children with mild handicaps.
Psychoeducational Characteristics of Children and Adolescents with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Rovet Joanne F. , Ehrlich Robert M. , Czuchta Deborah , Akler Michelle
Published: December 2008

In recent years, researchers have observed selective neuropsychological impairment associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in childhood. At increased risk are children who develop diabetes before the age of 5, who experience severe hypo- and hyperglycemia, or who have frequent episodes of mild to moderate hypoglycemia. This article explores the existing literature to establish frequency and consistency of general and specific neurocognitive deficits in this pediatric patient population, as well as the impact of these deficits on school achievement and learning disabilities. Studies are integrated to identify contributing diabetes and nondiabetes factors. This is followed by a reanalysis of the data from two studies of diabetic children to determine the learning disability characteristics of this population and the factors contributing to dysfunctional school performance. Findings are discussed in terms of the impact of different factors reflecting adequacy of diabetes control on specific psychoe-ducational abilities.
Neuropsychological, Academic, and Adaptive Functioning in Children Who Survive in-Hospital Cardiac Arrest and Resuscitation
Authors: Morris Robin D. , Krawiecki Nicolas S. , Wright Jean A. , Walter L. Warren
Published: December 2008

Children suffering cardiac arrest (CA) are not uncommon in certain pediatric populations. Due to the increasing survival rates of child CA patients, there is a growing interest in, and concern for, their long-term intellectual, academic, emotional, and adaptive functioning. This article describes the possible neurologic sequelae of CA in children and presents standardized assessment results on 25 children, 2 to 15 years of age, who survived a CA while in the hospital. A majority of these children exhibited low-average to deficient levels of performance on neuropsychologic, achievement, and adaptive behavior measures. Duration of cardiac arrest and a medical risk score were significantly correlated with decreased functioning in child CA patients. Children who suffer a cardiac arrest are at high risk for academic struggles, and many may need special education services.
Cognitive, Neuropsychological, and Academic Sequelae in Children with Leukemia
Authors: Brown Ronald T. , Madan-Swain Avi
Published: December 2008

The literature concerning the cognitive and neuropsychological sequelae of children in whom leukemia has been diagnosed indicates that these children exhibit deficits in cognitive and neuropsychological functioning and academic achievement in response to the iatrogenic effects of central nervous system (CNS) irradiation. Preliminary studies suggest that similar emanative effects may follow intrathecal chemotherapy, an alternative to CNS irradiation for children given a favorable prognosis. It is concluded that treatment advances have lengthened the life expectancy of many children with leukemia, thereby changing their prognosis to a more favorable one. This has resulted in a recognition of the difficulties accompanying school reentry. In light of their documented neuropsychological, academic, and social adjustment problems, many of these children require special education services.
Cognitive Development and Learning in the Pediatric Organ Transplant Recipient
Authors: Hobbs Steven A. , Sexson Sandra B.
Published: December 2008

Although organ transplantation is considered a viable treatment approach for end-stage organ disease, few empirical investigations have assessed the effects of transplantation on the cognitive development and learning of pediatric organ transplant recipients. This article reviews studies evaluating neurocognitive changes following organ transplantation in pediatric end-stage renal and liver disease. Despite numerous methodological problems inherent in the investigations examined, the findings of some studies are suggestive of potential neurocognitive benefits associated with organ transplantation. Recommendations are made regarding methodological improvements for future investigations assessing neurocognitive outcomes of organ transplantation.
Developmental Dyscalculia and Medical Assessment
Authors: Shalev Ruth S. , Gross-Tsur Varda
Published: December 2008

Developmental dyscalculia (DC) is a primary cognitive disorder of childhood manifested by disturbance of arithmetic ability. As an isolated learning disability (LD), it is usually treated by remedial education and not referred for further medical evaluation. We examined a group of 7 third-grade children with DC attending a mainstream school who had not progressed academically in spite of specie special education intervention. We were able to identify in all 7 children neurological conditions that had direct bearing on the children's cognitive disabilities and remedial programs. One child had petit mal seizures, another developmental Gerstmann syndrome, a third had dyslexia for numbers, and 4 children had attention deficit disorders without hyperactivity. Based on this experience, we suggest that the indications for medical of neurological assessment be broadened to include children who are not improving academically in spite of appropnatg professional intervention.
Assessment of Oral Storytelling Abilities of Latino Junior High School Students with Learning Handicaps
Authors: Comoe Goldstein Barbara , Harris Kathleen C. , Klein M. Diane
Published: December 2008

This study investigated the relationship between reading comprehension and oral storytelling as abilities. Thirty-one Latino junior high school students with learning handicaps were selected as subjects based on learning handicapped designation, home language, and language proficiency status. Reading comprehension was measured by the Reading Comprehension subtest of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test. Storytelling was measured by (a) the Oral Production subtest of the Language Assessment Scales using the standard scoring protocol and (b) a story structure analysis. A comparison of the standard scoring protocol and reading comprehension revealed no relationship, while the comparison of the story structure analysis and reading comprehension revealed a significant correlation. The implications of these results for language assessment of bilingual students are discussed.
Social Skills in the Context of Learning Disability Definitions
Authors: Conte Richard , Andrews Jac
Published: December 2008

In this article we review the evidence on the status of a social skills deficit as a learning disability (LD) by examining social skills deficits in the context of learning disability definitions. For the most part, social skills deficits fall within the terms that are specified in the definitions; that is, when there is evidence of neurological involvement, social skills deficit as a learning disability is consistent with the focus on listening and speaking that is characteristic of most definitions of learning disabilities. We also conclude that the absence of limiting conditions in extant definitions of learning disabilities makes it difficult to exclude any particular skill or type of knowledge from falling within the bounds of the definitions. Furthermore, we argue that the critical issue centers on the reformulation of the definition of learning disabilities. We suggest two directions in future work: First, the term “learning disability” should be limited to intentional learning contexts. Acceptance of this limitation would clarify at least some of the confusion regarding the domain of learning disabilities. Second, learning disability definitions should become more responsive to recent research on the nature of learning.
Social Skills and Learning Disabilities as a Type III Error
Authors: Gresham Frank M.
Published: December 2008

Four major points made by Conte and Andrews (this issue) were addressed: (a) the primary cause hypothesis, (b) the prevalence of social skills deficits in children with learning disabilities, (c) the distinction between incidental and intentional learning, and (d) the use of intentional learning contexts in making eligibility decisions. The issues of neurological bases for social skills deficits, social skills deficits as language disabilities, and the distinction between incidental and intentional learning contexts are viewed as irrelevant to children experiencing difficulties in social skills and peer relationships. Children meeting state or district criteria for learning disabilities should receive social skills intervention as specified in an Individualized Education Program.
An Examination of Phonemic Processing Abilities in Children During Their First-Grade Year
Authors: Hurford David P. , Darrow Lorri J. , Edwards Terry L. , Howerton Carol J. , Mote Charles R. , Schauf Joel D. , Coffey Paula
Published: December 2008

The present study examined the development of reading and phonological processing abilities of 209 first graders (118 males, 91 females; mean age = 86.7 months) assessed during the first and last quarters of their first-grade year. The children were arranged into three different groups based on their Time 2 reading and intelligence data (children with and without reading disabilities, and “garden-variety” poor readers). Analyses indicated that the children with reading disabilities and the garden-variety poor readers did not differ significantly on many of the tasks, but both performed differently than the children without reading disabilities. Developmental analyses indicated that all three groups increased their reading and phonological skills; however, the gap between the performance of the children without reading disabilities and the other two groups widened from Time 1 to Time 2. The most important finding of the present study concerned the classification results of the discriminant analysis, which correctly identified the group membership of 207 of the 209 children (99.04% correct).
Supervision of Employees with Moderate Special Needs
Authors: Reisman Elaine S. , Reisman Joel I.
Published: December 2008

A study was conducted to identify issues that confront workplace supervisors of people with learning disabilities (LD): problem behaviors, supervisory techniques, and the supervisor's needs. Conclusions are based on questionnaire responses from 65 supervisors in human service agencies and 27 interviews conducted with employers and supervisors in business and industry. Findings indicate that this special needs population surpasses the general population in exhibiting several positive work habits. Problem behaviors are most commonly addressed by establishing realistic performance standards, being flexible, and modifying tasks. Training supervisors who provide specific information concerning the individual are a major source of support to the on-site supervisor. Supervisors felt that personal commitment to this population and availability of specific information concerning LD were the most important influences on the quality of their work with the trainee. Findings from this study hold hope for the successful employment of people with LD.