bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hemispheric Language Dominance of Language-Disordered, Articulation-Disordered, and Normal Children
Authors: Pettit John M. , Helms Suzanne B.
Published: December 2008

This study compared the hemispheric dominance for language of three groups of 6- to 9-year-olds (10 language-disordered, 10 articulation-disordered, and 10 normal children). Two dichotic listening tests (digits and animal names) were administered. Statistical analysis revealed a left hemisphere dominance for the control and articulation-disordered groups but no significant hemisphere differences for the language-disordered group. The results support the hypothesis that the language-disordered child has an unlateralized cerebral dominance for language, while the articulation-disordered child has normal left cerebral hemisphere dominance for language. Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that the language-disordered child does not process auditory stimuli in the left hemisphere as efficiently as the articulation-disordered or normal child. These results also suggest the importance of developing strategies in the management of these disorders.
Primal Terror: A Perspective of Vestibular Dysfunction
Authors: Shaffer Martin
Published: December 2008

The following article presents a personal perspective of the internal experience of “primal terror.” Primal terror is the emotional experience with one's inability to naturally maintain one's balance in opposition to gravity and to integrate vestibular input. Vignettes describe the impact of this phenomenon on one's self-concept, self-esteem, level of body tension, trust, and Weltanschauung. Perceptual issues in primal terror are discussed in relation to other visual and psychological dilemmas often associated with sensorymotor dysfunction. Implications for remediation are discussed.
Cognitive Training Interventions in Children: Review of a New Approach
Authors: Abikoff Howard
Published: December 2008

This paper reviews cognitive training studies with children showing behavioral, attentional, or cognitive problems. Various cognitive procedures have been employed, including self-instructional, problem solving, and component attentional skills training. The most consistently sensitive index of training effectiveness has been improved performance on the Matching Familiar Figures Test, a measure of cognitive impulsivity. Reports of improved reading performance suggest that cognitive training may enhance academic functioning. The effectiveness of cognitive training in reducing disruptive classroom behavior has been equivocal. Positive findings suggest the necessity of including a social skills training component. Strong support for maintenance effects is lacking. Among hyperactive children, cognitive training has had little impact on classroom behavior but has resulted in improved and sustained cognitive functioning. This training may be a useful adjunct in the clinical management of hyperactive children undergoing stimulant treatment.
Word-Finding Skills in Children with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Newman German Diane J.
Published: December 2008

This study investigated word-finding skills in learning disabled children. Subjects were administered measures designed to explore word-finding ability in three stimulus contexts for high- and low-frequency words. Comparisons between conditions and target-word frequency were made with respect to mean response time and number of errors. The results indicated that learning disabled children manifested significantly more word-finding errors than normal learning children. There was also a main effect for target-word frequency and stimulus context. More errors and longer response times occurred on low-frequency words, and a hierarchy of difficulty for stimulus context was identified for both indices. These results have practical implications for word-finding skills in the learning disabled children.
Muscle Relaxation Therapy in Hyperkinesis: Is It Effective?
Authors: Bhatara Vinod , Arnold L. Eugene , Lorance Tom , Gupta Debbie
Published: December 2008

The literature on two forms of muscle relaxation training in hyperkinesis—electromyographic (EMG) biofeedback and progressive muscle relaxation—is reviewed, and our own experience is discussed. Conflicting results from the different studies are explained in terms of sample heterogeneity. There is insufficient evidence to support the clinical utility of EMG biofeedback in hyperkinesis. Even if EMG biofeedback is useful, it may not surpass progressive muscle relaxation in the behavioral treatment of hyperactivity. Thus extra effort involved in the EMG biofeedback training is not justifiable in hyperkinesis, but muscle relaxation training may have a place in the multimodality treatment of hyperactivity.
A Bypass Program of Supportive Instruction for Secondary Students with Learning Disabilities
Authors: Mosby Robert J.
Published: December 2008

A mainstream program of instruction for 50 learning disabled junior high school students is described. Developmental bypass (DBP) teaching techniques were employed by a learning disabilities resource room teacher. The effect of instruction via tape-recorded textbooks and dictated multiple-choice, teacher-made tests were studied in regard to improvement in social studies achievement and classroom behaviors. Significant gains on pretest and posttest measures of the Stanford Achievement Test (Social Studies) and selected Devereux Teacher Rating Scales are reported. It is concluded the DBP techniques may enhance student achievement and classroom performance. Differences in students' learning assessment modalities are discussed in regard to auditory versus nonauditory strengths for assessing pupil achievement.
New Developments in Behavioral Research/Etzel, LeBlanc, Baer (Eds.)
Authors: Kratochwill Thomas R.
Published: December 2008

New Developments in Behavioral Research: Theory, Method and Application (in honor of Sidney W. Bijou). Barbara C. Etzel, Judith M. LeBlanc, and Donald M. Baer (Eds.). Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1977 (XVI-637), 656 pp., $27.50.
Modeling Effects on Impulsivity with Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Nagle Richard J. , Thwaite Ben C.
Published: December 2008

Thirty learning disabled third- and fourth-grade children classified as impulsive on Kagan's Matching Familiar Figures Test were assigned to one of three training conditions in which they viewed a model who responded in either a reflective or impulsive cognitive tempo on a matching-to-sample task or a control model who played an unrelated game. Training sessions were carried out weekly for three consecutive weeks. Match-to-sample tasks were administered to each subject following each session and one week after the third training session (delayed posttest). These tasks were scored for response latency and error rate. It was found that children who observed a reflective model showed significantly longer latencies than subjects in both the impulsive modeling and control group following each treatment session and on the delayed posttest. No significant group differences in error rates were found following the first training session; however, the reflective model group showed significantly fewer errors than the other groups following the last two training sessions and the delayed posttest. The results were discussed in terms of the educational implications for the impulsive learning disabled child and previous modeling research.
Lateral Dominance and Reading Disability
Authors: Harris Albert J.
Published: December 2008

Theory and research on the relation of lateral dominance to the causation of reading disability is reviewed. Direct measures of cerebral hemisphere functioning indicate that the left hemisphere is dominant for speech, sequential processing, and logical thinking in nearly all right-handers and the majority of left-handers, while the right hemisphere is dominant for holistic or Gestalt perception, nonverbal reasoning, and music. However, the electroencephalograph, which is the only direct indicator of cerebral dominance that does not require surgery, does not differentiate well between disabled and normal readers. Indirect measures include measures of handedness, directionality, dichotic listening, and tachisto-scopic presentation of visual stimuli to visual half-fields. Research on the relation of such measures to reading disability is reviewed.
Optimal Response Modes Influence the Performance of Learning Disabled Children on Academic Tasks
Authors: Braggio John T. , Braggio Sherryll M. , Lanier Joseph H. , Simpson Larry , Reisman Fredricka K.
Published: December 2008

The purpose of this study was to introduce a testing procedure that could be used to determine the optimal response modes of learning disabled children on a standardized diagnostic test such as the Frostig Developmental Test of Visual Perception (FDTVP). Learning disabled children with below average scores on the FDTVP were presented items previously missed on this test using one of three different methods of task presentation, i.e., covert, vocal, and visual-manual response-eliciting strategies. At the end of the instruction phase, a posttest was administered. Analysis of pretest and posttest scores indicated that for each learning disabled child there was a single method of task presentation that was most effective in eliminating errors. This outcome was operationally defined as the learning disabled child's optimal response mode. Each child was then shown an eight-item paired-associate task using a method of task presentation that was either similar to or different from the testing condition that generated the optimal response mode. It was found that the learning disabled children in the matched condition recalled significantly more paired-associate items than those in the unmatched condition, which suggests that the method of task presentation may determine the expression of the learning disability deficit on an academic task. The importance of these results in clarifying the behavioral basis of the learning disability deficit is discussed within the context of the diagnosis and remediation of educational handicaps.
Sociometric Status of Learning Disabled Children in an Integrative Program
Authors: Scranton Thomas R. , Ryckman David B.
Published: December 2008

The sociometric standing of primary-aged learning disabled students was investigated. The setting was a sparsely populated rural area where learning disabled children were mainstreamed in an elementary school in which an “open concept” delivery of services system was in operation. The “special child” stigma was therefore assumed to be significantly reduced. The data support the findings of previous studies on handicapped and normal children; i.e., significant differences were found between the learning disabled and normal control groups on both the positive and negative questions. Further analysis revealed that the learning disabled girls were less likely to be positively chosen and more likely to be rejected than the learning disabled boys. A discussion of possible reasons for such differences is included.
The Effect Of Two Language Training Approaches On Syntactical Skills of Language-Deviant Children
Authors: Weller Carol
Published: December 2008

The effects of the language training approach of Carl Bereiter and Siegfried Engelmann and the language training approach of Marion Blank were experimentally investigated with the parts of speech of descriptor words and functor words. Four children, aged 4 to 5, whose language was deficient in these parts of speech, received both training approaches in a multiple baseline design. Comparisons were drawn as to the effectiveness of these approaches in increasing the use of these parts of speech in free speech situations.

Results of the comparison showed the Bereiter-Englemann approach to be more effective than the Marion Blank approach in increasing the use of descriptor and functor words. Furthermore, Bereiter-Engelmann approach proved more efficient in use of teacher time spent to produce the behavioral changes in these two parts of speech.
Resource Rooms
Authors: Brown Louis F. , Kiraly John , McKinnon Archie
Published: December 2008

This article raises questions about the resource room model as an educational delivery system for handicapped students. Questions consider the role and function of the resource teacher, which students benefit most, mechanisms needed to ensure communication between resource teacher and referring teacher, and administrative policy decisions that interfere with maximum functioning of the resource room model. Systematic evaluation of the resource room model is suggested as timely and crucial.
What Shall We Do with Psychological Processes?
Authors: Torgesen Joseph K.
Published: December 2008

The idea that learning disabilities are the result of deficiencies in one or more of the basic psychological processes required for learning is a core concept that needs to be maintained. However, problems in the application of traditional process-oriented approaches to diagnosis and treatment of learning disabilities suggest a need to alter the manner in which these basic processes are conceptualized and measured. Evidence from research in cognitive development indicates the need to change from child-centered process assessment to measurement of processes required for the performance of specific academic tasks in specific settings. This report suggests that such a change not only will encourage the search for the processing deficiencies underlying different kinds of learning disabilities but also will make the assessment of processes more relevant to education.
Motor Deficits That May Cause Reading Problems
Authors: Tarnopol Lester , Tarnopol Muriel
Published: December 2008

It is well known that learning problems tend to be associated with motor deficits. However, no relationships between specific cortical deficits and learning have been described to indicate a possible cause and effect relationship. We now postulate that dysfunctions in those cortical sensorimotor areas of the brain that control internal speech may adversely affect the learning of reading, writing, spelling, and arithmetic, especially in children who are first learning these skills. Correlations between arithmetic scores and copying geometrical designs are attributed to any underlying, unstable relationship between visual stimuli and their evoked brain wave responses in many cases. Other lerning skills may be affected in a similar manner. Finally, a case of poor arithmetic skills in a graduate student was found to be associated with poor interhemispheric communication via the commissures.
Learning Disabilities
Authors: Smith J. David , Polloway Edward A.
Published: December 2008

Despite the fact that the field of learning disabilities has grown dramatically in recent years, many questions remain unanswered or disputed. In the absence of a clear definition of learning disabilities, the authors suggest that it has become an educational simile with children described as “like a learning disabled child.” It is postulated that the learning disabled label has become reflective of a problem related more to social structure than to children. It is time that the optimism orginally connected with the term should lead to greater attention to individual needs and less emphasis on categorical concerns.
Neuropsycholoical Contributions to Education
Authors: Frostig Marianne , Maslow Phyllis
Published: December 2008

This paper deals with the effects of general experiences and specific educational practices on the structure and functioning of the central nervous system. The dynamic relationships among various regions of the brain are expressed in the interdependence of such cognitive functions as motor skills, perception, language, and memory and in the integration of information within and among modalities and of receptive and expressive functions. Anatomic and physiological research has demonstrated, moreover, that emotional and attentional processes are inseparable from cognitive ones. What we now know about the brain supports certain educational practices and suggests certain methods for the teacher (e.g., when there is a hemispheric deficit). The brain can change, and the teacher is responsible in part for providing the environment in which these changes can occur.
Relationship Between Pregnancy and Birth Complications and the Later Development of Learning Disabilities
Authors: Colletti Lorraine F.
Published: December 2008

The present study was an interdisciplinary, empirical study of the perinatal histories of 50 learning disabled children, aged 7 to 12 years, who had minimum neurological dysfunctions. Subjects were drawn from children whose learning disabilities had been diagnosed at the Neuro-Education Center of Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Mich. A normative population was used for comparative purposes.

The experimental group had a significantly higher number of pregnancy and birth complications on birth records than the norm (p<.05). A pattern of significantly lower scaled scores was found on the Wechsler Arithmetic and Digit Span (p < .05), and a pattern of significantly higher scores was found on Similarities (p < .05). Academic achievement was found to be significantly below grade level in all basic academic areas, i.e., reading, mathematics, and spelling. Sight vocabulary was the only area that was normal.

The epidemiologic evidence is sufficiently strong to indicate that there exists “a continuum of reproductive insult resulting in varying degrees of neuropsychiatric disability” (Pasamanick & Knobloch 1960).
Prediction of Self-Concept Among Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Smith Monte D.
Published: December 2008

This investigation explored the possibility of predicting self-concept among 147 school-verified learning disabled children on the bases of several combinations of predictor variables. Verbal IQ, Performance IQ, and Reading performance variables had little relationship to self-concept. The combination of Word Knowledge performance, Math performance, and family socioeconomic status (SES), however, significantly predicted self-concept. Somewhat surprisingly, learning disabled children from high SES families had lower self-concepts than their low SES counterparts. Practical and theoretical implications of the results are discussed, particularly as they relate to the potential impact of mainstreaming on the self-concept of the learning disabled child.
Interaction of Locus-of-Control Orientation and the Performance of Learning Disabled Adolescents
Authors: Bendell Debra , Tollefson Nona , Fine Marvin
Published: December 2008

This research investigated the interaction of locus-of-control orientation with two conditions of learning on the performance of learning disabled adolescents. Locus of control is a generalized construct wherein the individual has the power to perceive outcome as being independent of one's own behavior and the result of chance, or to believe that outcomes are related to one's own behavior and efforts. A sample of 50 learning disabled adolescents were divided into two divergent samples on the locus-of-control variable using the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire. The subjects from the two groups were administered pretest and posttest lists of 15 spelling words under two conditions of learning (highly structured rein forcement and lowly structured rein forcement). A repeated-measures analysis of covariance was used with intelligence test scores and pretest scores partialed out. Results showed that the adolescents with internal locus of control performed significantly better in the low-structure reinforcement condition, while the adolescents with external locus of control performed significantly better in the high-structure reinforcement condition.
A Multiphasic Reading Screening Procedure
Authors: Pope Jean , Lehrer Barry , Stevens James
Published: December 2008

The need for effective screening methods for the early identification of children with learning difficulties is a governing area of concern in special education. In this issue Pope, Lehrer, and Stevens describe the efficacy of a multiphasic reading screening battery identifying high- and low-risk groups after a period of five years. Lewis reviews the practicality and effectiveness of a screening procedure used in one Infants School in England. Finally, Pihl and Nagy evaluate the validity and reliability of the Myklebust Pupil Rating Scale. — D.A.S.
The Relationship of Learning Disabilities to Juvenile Delinquency
Authors: Lane Bruce A.
Published: December 2008

Education and juvenile justice have been brought together in an interdisciplinary evaluation of the relationship between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency. A significant relationship between learning disabilities and juvenile delinquency would have important implications for the development of policy and programming in the area of juvenile delinquency prevention.
“It's All Right if Kids Can't Read”—
Authors: Richards John
Published: December 2008

Our title comes from a feature article that appeared in the Los Angeles Times last fall. Picked up by newspapers nationwide, the story quoted Dr. Richards, who is director of the Kaiser-Permanente Learning Disability Clinic in San Diego with such statements as "Admit it, some people just can't read," "It's like a physical handicap for some kids, a code they'll never break," and "There comes a time to give up trying to teach some of them to read and start letting them live around it." Though generally pessimistic, there were statements made to suggest a concerned, humanistic, yet pragmatic professional. Examples, "Let's not say a child is a failure just because he can't do one thing," or "It's OK if a kid feels all right about himself even if he can't read."

I thought it important that Dr. Richards should have the chance to explain himself to the profession and, therefore, have provided him the opportunity to elaborate his views in an in-depth interview with the Journal of Learning Disabilities. G.M.S.
ITPA and Learning Disability
Authors: Elkins John , Sultmann William F.
Published: December 2008

Two groups of children, (n = 144 and n = 49), identified as different on measures of reading and spelling were found to exhibit different performance levels on the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities (ITPA). Seven discriminant analyses were performed with significant group separation occurring for six of these. Classification analyses indicated that using the ten major subtests produced accurate classification in approximately 71% of cases. Subtests found to load heavily in discriminant functions were Auditory Sequential Memory and Auditory Reception. Other subtests, which loaded moderately, were Auditory Association, Visual Association, Verbal Expression, and Grammatic Closure. Results were discussed in the light of previous research methodologies and the debate as to the educational relevance of the ITPA.
Where The Jobs Are and What Do They Pay?
Authors: Grossman Ronald P.
Published: December 2008

As the Editor-in-Chief of JLD once observed, “learning disabilities” means several things all at the same time. Explaining the concept to our pediatric colleagues in a journal of that profession, he noted that LD refers to: a) a category of disability especially manifest in the classroom, b) a field of scientific inquiry which stands at the intersection of education, psychology and medicine, and c) the group of professionals who assume a responsibility for the care of young people so disabled and for research into the nature of their problems. Logically, those three definitions arrange themselves into the order stated. For obviously, it was the phenomenon of disabled children which called into being the field of scientific endeavor and the profession which centers around it. But from the standpoint of services which are actually rendered to children, the order reverses itself. Except for the development, over the last decade and a half, of a coherent group of professionals, the LD child could find no immediate relief from the burden of his handicap, nor could research continue which will one day unlock the secret of his disability.

It was from this perspective that JLD undertook the first survey of the economic standing of the LD profession. How well, we wanted to know, are LD teachers, school psychologists, teacher trainers and special education administrators doing in today's job market? From the viewpoint of young professionals about to complete their training this spring: Will there be jobs out there commensurate with the special skills they have developed? From the viewpoint of established professionals: Is the job market elastic enough so that they can advance from one position to another as their ripening experience demands they should. Contained within the answers to those questions, we assumed, was that of an even more fundamental one: Is the LD field continuing to grow at a rate which will ensure a flow of services to all the children who need them?

We also assumed that since this is only the first of an annual series of such surveys, for the present we would only be able to sketch out an overview: Where the jobs are, where they are lacking, and what kinds of salaries can professionals expect for their services. Over the next several years, then, we will attempt to fill in the details. For now we hope that—in addition to supplying the profession with some immediately useful data—we will have discovered the questions which must be answered in subsequent surveys.
Empirically Derived Subgroups of Learning Disabled Readers
Authors: Lyon Reid , Watson Bill
Published: December 2008

A cluster analysis procedure was used to identify subgroups of children who manifested specific learning disabilities in reading (SLD/R) in terms of performance on a battery of eight language and perceptual tests. Subjects included a group of 100 SLD/R children and 50 normal readers (NR). Six SLD/R subgroups were identified. All subgroups were both significantly different from one another as well as significantly different from the NR group's performance on the diagnostic battery. In addition, some significant differences were found among the six subgroups on measures of oral reading and reading comprehension skills. These results were compared with those of previous studies, none of which employed samples of the SLD/R youngsters identified in public schools. Results also were examined for their implications for a more precise match between the SLD/R learner characteristics and type of teaching method or material.
The Efficiency of Myklebust's Pupil Rating Scale for Detecting Reading and Arithmetic Difficulties
Authors: Margolis Howard , Sheridan Rosemary , Lemanowicz James
Published: December 2008

Myklebust's Pupil Rating Scale (PRS) was administered to the first (n = 92) and second (n = 130) grades of a middle class suburban elementary school to ascertain its effectiveness for predicting reading and arithmetic difficulties. The results of this investigation were compared with those obtained in a large pilot study (n = 98) with a similar second grade population from another school district. After obtaining overall correlations between the PRS and achievement and examining those PRS scores Myklebust found indicative of academic difficulty, it was concluded that the predictive efficiency of the PRS at these grade levels must remain suspect until sufficient countervailing evidence supporting its predictive utility is presented.
Effects of Self-Contained Special Class Placement on Intellectual Functioning on Learning Disabled Students
Authors: Beck Frances W. , Lindsey Jimmy D. , Frith Greg H.
Published: December 2008

This research provides additional data relative to the efficacy of self-contained delivery systems for learning disabled children. The effect of one- or two-year special class placement on academic achievement and intellectual functioning was investigated. The number of years in a self-contained class significantly affected arithmetic achievement, F (1.24) = 4.50. p < .05. Significant differences in regression in IQ scores of both groups occurred. These results suggest that additional efficacy research should be conducted prior to formulation of conclusions relative to the use of self-contained classes for LD youngsters. The concept of determining placement alternatives on an individual basis continues to be advocated.
Uses and Abuses of the WISC-R with the Learning Disabled
Authors: Galvin Gloria A.
Published: December 2008

A review of the literature regarding the utility of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC-R) with learning disabled students was conducted. The WISC-R has demonstrated reliability and validity when used with LD populations in the assessment of intelligence, although a paradox exists. Diagnosing learning disabilities through the use of WISC-R patterns is not supported. The WISC-R is suggested as a basis for hypotheses about the individual LD student's cognitive style and as an indicator of the direction further assessment should take. It is concluded that the WISC-R can be an adjunct to LD diagnosis and one step in educational planning for the LD student.
Individual and Group Feedback Systems for Improving Oral Reading Accuracy in Learning Disabled and Regular Class Children
Authors: Thorpe Harold W. , Chiang Berttram , Darch Craig B.
Published: December 2008

The effect of individual and group feedback upon reducing oral reading errors was investigated using as subjects fifth-grade underachievers from a learning disabled program (LD) and from a regular classroom (non-LD). Both individual and group feedback procedures were found effective when compared with the baseline condition. The efficiency and utility of the group feedback procedure is emphasized. In addition, since the procedures were equally effective for both LD and non-LD students, the treatment utility of feedback in a mainstreamed setting is discussed.
Behavior Patterns in Families of Boys with Learning and Behavior Problems
Authors: Idol-Maestas Lorna
Published: December 2008

Medical records of 88 boys seen as patients in a private pediatric practice were reviewed. Two sub-populations were studied: 44 boys with central language problems (oral language, reading, writing, and spelling) and 44 boys with central language problems and a diagnosed hyperactive behavior syndrome. A discriminant analysis yielded prediction equations for the two groups, which correctly classified members 78% of the time. Learning problems of later-born children and family members were associated with the first group. The best predictor of membership in the group with language problems and diagnosed hyperactivity was family alcohol problems. To a lesser degree, family hyperactivity was also a predictor for this group. Forty-three percent of the total variability of the discriminant function was attributable to differences between the groups.
Child and Context
Authors: Ziegler Robert G.
Published: December 2008

While conceptualizations of learning disabilities vary between brain deficit and brain difference, teachers, counselors, and clinicians should consider the degree and nature of the match that exists between the child's abilities and both the classroom methods and material. As the degree of mismatch increases between the child's abilities and the material that the child is expected to master, the child must adapt to this difficulty. Three stages of children's psychological adaptation to this distress are postulated: (1) an initial reaction of quiet withdrawal or active response, (2) disengagement, and (3) defensiveness. These adaptations and their implications for the classroom and clinician are discussed, and case illustrations are presented.
Scatter Analysis of WISC-R Profiles for Learning Disabled Children with Superior Intelligence
Authors: Schiff Matthew M. , Kaufman Alan S. , Kaufman Nadeen L.
Published: December 2008

A group that has rarely been investigated empirically, learning disabled children with superior intelligence, was the focus of this study. The WISC-R profiles of 30 “uneven gifted” children were examined to assess strengths and deficits as well as scatter. The children exhibited extremely strong skills in verbal comprehension, expression, and conceptualization, in marked contrast to relative deficiencies in an area that has been defined variously as sequencing ability and distractibility. Verbal—Performance IQ discrepancies and subtest scatter were both significantly greater than values obtained for normal children and were also substantially greater than scatter indexes for LD children with normal intelligence. In addition to the characteristic profile of intellectual skills, the group of high-IQ LD youngsters also displayed a consistent “emotional” profile.
Wechsler Adult Intelligence Score Patterns for Learning Disabled Young Adults
Authors: Cordoni Barbara K. , O'Donnell James P. , Ramaniah Nerella V. , Kurtz Jerry , Rosenshein Karen
Published: December 2008

The present investigation used the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale to compare the cognitive profiles of learning disabled and control young adults. Consistent with earlier research using the WISC and WISC-R, the Information, Digit Span, and Digit Symbol (i.e., Coding) subtests contribute substantially and independently to group differentiation. Bannatyne's Sequential factor also discriminates between these groups. These subtest and Bannatyne factor group differences obtain for both average-IQ (≤109) and high-IQ (≤110) young adults. These results suggest that the deficits observed in LD children and adolescents persist into early adulthood.
Recategorization of WPPSI Scores for Kindergarten Children with Learning Difficulties
Authors: Michayluk J. O.
Published: December 2008

Thirty kindergarten children with teacher-identified learning difficulties were matched for age, sex, and socioeconomic status with 30 children who were not experiencing any problems learning. All subjects were administered the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). The scaled scores on the WPPSI were then recategorized according to Bannatyne's suggested regroupings to determine whether it was possible to identify potential learning difficulties on the basis of the pattern of these recategorized scores. A two-way analysis of covariance, a one-way analysis of variance, and a discriminant analysis indicated some interaction and simple main effects. In general, the matched control group exhibited superiority on all Bannatyne categories. However, the predicted Bannatyne pattern for the group with learning difficulties was not confirmed.
The Cognitive Patterns of Israeli Learning Disabled Children as Reflected in the Hebrew Version of the WISC-R
Authors: Raviv Amiram , Margalith Malcha , Raviv Alona , Sade Edna
Published: December 2008

The present study examined cognitive aspects of learning disabled children as reflected in the Hebrew version of the WISC-R. Sixty LD and 60 normal children were tested for differences on various aspects, such as Bannatyne's suggestion for recategorization of the WISC, scatter patterns, and discrepancies between the Verbal IQ and Performance IQ.

Despite the translation of the test to Hebrew, the WISC-R preserved its ability to differentiate between LD and normal children. Nevertheless, certain limitations exist in the use of the test as a diagnostic tool for an individual child.
The Circular Paradigm
Authors: Barrett James C. , Buscher John B.
Published: December 2008

The traditional model of inservice training is questioned and the authors recommend a new design for staff development. The influx of federal funds into the public school for comprehensive staff development, as a result of the passage of P.L. 94–142, has emphasized the lack of adequate inservice procedures and methodologies at all levels of education. Major issues discussed include (a) What relevancy should be built into the model? (b) How are needs to be assessed? (c) What supportive services are necessary? (d) What materials and technical assistance are useful? (e) How should the local district “inservice cadre” be utilized? These questions and other issues regarding the need to involve all participants and planners in the staff development process are delineated.
A Note on Determining Significant Discrepancies Among Category Scores on Bannatyne's Regrouping of WISC-R Subtests
Authors: Reynolds Cecil R.
Published: December 2008

Bannatyne's recategorization of Wechsler subtests into the process oriented categories of Spatial, Conceptual, and Sequential has been shown to be useful in differentiating groups of normal from reading disabled children and may have utility for understanding the cognitive functioning of individual children. Discrepancy scores required at three significance levels when comparing a single child's performance on one category with his or her mean level of performance across all three categories are developed and reported.
Searching for a WISC-R Profile for Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Ryckman David B.
Published: December 2008

Indexes of scatter on the WISC-R were computed for 100 severely learning disabled children. These indexes of subtest variability were significantly greater than value reported by Kaufman (1976) for children in the normal standardization sample. However, the substantial overlap in distributions between LD and normal groups suggests the inadvisability of continuing the search for a characteristic LD profile.
Diagnostic Implications of Bannatyne's Recategorized WISC-R Scores for Identifying Learning Disabled Children
Authors: Henry Stephan A. , Wittman Robert D.
Published: December 2008

This study examines the use of Bannatyne's WISC-R subtest score recategorization hierarchy in identifying students with learning disabilities. Five groups of 40 students each were selected from previously diagnosed children from each of the following categories: full-time learning disabilities placement, resource room learning disabilities placement, emotionally disturbed (ED), gifted, and educable mentally handicapped, (EMH). WISC-R subtest scores were recategorized in order to obtain Spatial, Conceptual, Sequential and Acquired Knowledge scores, as suggested by Bannatyne. The five groups were examined to determine the frequency with which the Spatial<Conceptual<Sequential ordering was observed. In addition, four of the five groups were collapsed to form two groups, one consisting of LD students and the other consisting of the EMH and ED students. The two groups did not significantly differ in the proportion of students conforming to Bannatyne's pattern. The results indicated that Bannatyne's pattern was of little value in differentiating between LD students and non-LD students and, if used, might even contribute to misdiagnosis.
The Child as a Diagnostic Participant
Authors: Levine Melvin D. , Clarke Simon , Ferb Thomas
Published: December 2008

With the ongoing development of new models of interdisciplinary evaluation of children with learning problems, the perspective of the student himself has received relatively scant attention. This study reports on the use of the Self-Administered Student Profile in children 9 years old and above. The instrument consists of a list of quotations gathered from children with learning disorders. These are classified according to the area of developmental dysfunction most likely to be relevant. A pilot study was performed in clinics at The Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston. Children proved to be quite candid in acknowledging areas of developmental dysfunction. Difficulties relating to language, cognitive tempo (impulsivity), and memory were indicated most commonly. Through the use of questionnaires, parent and teacher perspectives were compared to the students' own impressions. Findings from clinic testing also were used. The students' self-assessments were more likely to agree with the diagnostic impressions of the school than with the clinic or parents. It is suggested that the Self-Administered Student Profile can be a useful adjunct in the diagnostic process and can enhance students' insight into their own learning difficulties.
The Use and Interpretation of Standardized Grade Equivalents
Authors: Burns Edward
Published: December 2008

The advantages and disadvantages of grade equivalents as indexes of academic achievement are discussed. One of the major drawbacks of grade equivalents is a lack of information regarding variability (viz., standard deviations) for different age groups. A method isproposed in which z scores, percentile tanks, or stanines could be used to provide grade equivalents. This approach eliminates several of the deficiencies associated with most grade equivalents while at the same time providing an index that has a known standard deviation.
The Influence of Black English on Diagnosis of Reading In Learning Disabled and Normal Readers
Authors: Burke Suzanne M. , Pflaum Susanna W. , Knafle June D.
Published: December 2008

This study investigated the removal of black English dialect features from the error scores of three oral reading tests—the Gray Oral Reading Test, the Gilmore Oral Reading Test, and the Spache Diagnostic Reading Scales. The 40 children in the sample population (20 control children matched by age and sex with 20 children identified by the school as learning disabled) were given all three tests. Each test was scored first using test manual criteria and then rescored using those criteria but eliminating from the error count any dialect miscue. On all three tests, LD children scored lower than control children. Also, the effect of removing dialect miscues as errors caused an overall increase in reading scores on all three tests. On the Gray and Spache tests, but not on the Gilmore test, control children benefited more from the removal of dialect responses as errors than LD children. Additionally, the results indicated that dialect had a greater impact on the scores of the Gilmore than it did on the Gray and Spache tests.
Effects of an Instructional Program Designed to Improve Attending Behaviors of Learning Disabled Students
Authors: Argulewicz Ed N.
Published: December 2008

Third-grade learning disabled students (N = 72) were chosen from eight public schools and were assigned randomly to one of two treatment groups or a control group. The first treatment group received training in attending behaviors by a direct instruction method. The second group of students was exposed to modeling of the attending behaviors but received no other formal training. Immediately following the training session, students were administered three tasks that are commonly used as indexes of selective attention. The group receiving the instructional program performed significantly better on two of the three tasks. Results are discussed in terms of applied implications and future investigations.
Causes of Burnout in SLD Teachers
Authors: Olson Judy , Matuskey Patricia V.
Published: December 2008

The study investigated self-reported causes of stress of specific learning disabilities (SLD) teachers. Six job-related factors of stress were identified by a majority of the 173 subjects survey. It was concluded that many SLD teachers experience stress related to occupational activities. A further question explored the relationship of stress to the characteristics of age, sex, years of teaching experience, highest degree, and level of teaching. Results shewed a significant association only between educational background and one stress factor.
Presentation Modality and Taxonomic Category as Encoding Dimensions for Good and Poor Readers
Authors: Lehman Elyse B. , Brady Kathleen McC.
Published: December 2008

The asymmetrical release from proactive inhibition found in poor readers on the modality dimension (auditory to visual: no release; visual to auditory: slight release) by Farnham-Diggory and Gregg (1975) was not obtained when two critical control groups were included. On a Wickens' release from proactive inhibition task, both good and poor readers in grades 4,5, and 6 showed a build-up of inhibition across the first group of trials and a release on the last trial with a shift in modality of presentation when the comparison was between a shift and a no-shift group on the last trial, as suggested by Wickens (1972), and with a shift in taxonomic category. There were also no differences between groups on a recognition of presentation modality task. Both good and poor readers, therefore, store information indicating whether a word was heard or seen and information concerning a word's category membership.
The Merging Categories: Appropriate Education or Administrative Convenience?
Authors: Phipps Patricia M.
Published: December 2008

The trend to include mildly mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed (behavior disordered), and learning disabled children in the same generic category and in the same school programs is increasing. The position taken here is that this trend represents an avoidance of the difficulties of diagnosis and programming. The author believes that the noncategorical trend in special education can endanger the appropriate education of many children, and that convenience must not replace education of children with diverse conditions and needs.
Printing Errors in Kindergarten and the Prediction of Academic Performance
Authors: Simner Marvin L.
Published: December 2008

Kindergarten children printed from memory immediately after seeing each of the 41 reversible letters and numbers. The results showed that form errors, which involve some overall changes in the actual shape of the letter itself, correlated reliably with academic performance measured at the end of kindergarten as well as throughout grade I in reading, phonics, language, and math. This was not the case for the left-right reversal errors generated by these same letters and numbers. Moreover, the magnitude of the correlations suggested that these form errors could hold considerable promise as a means of identifying with reasonable accuracy children at risk for failure.
The Promise of Public Law 94–142
Authors: Raccioppi Rose Marie
Published: December 2008

The overview presented in this paper blends personal experiences of the past, supported by a review of professional publications, with a direction for the future. It is heartfelt. A plea is put forward for a coordinated interdisciplinary approach to the diagnosis, treatment, education, remediation, and support of the learning disabled child. A model training program called “The Learning Lab” is offered for consideration and further exploration.
The Effectiveness of Color-Coded Cues in Remediating Reversals
Authors: Doyle William
Published: December 2008

This paper explores the effectiveness of the color-coding technique in remediating the reversals of p, b, and d for children with reversal problems. In this particular experiment, using color-coded letters as cues in words was less effective than simply practicing the same words without color-coded cues. The difference was not significant. The paper further explores the usefulness of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) in determining which children will benefit most from the use of color-coding cues. Experimental students who had a higher Performance than Verbal score on the WISC showed for more significant improvement in eliminating reversals when color coding was used. When no such cues were used, the opposite was true. Students with higher Verbal than Performance scores improved much more. In both cases the significance level was p<.005.