This paper provides a description of the demographic characteristics as well as the social and academic experiences of a nationally representative sample of Canadian students receiving special education services for an Emotional/Behavioural Difficulty (EBD) and a comparison group of students without disabilities (ND). Data summarized in this…

This is a preliminary evaluation of a program aimed at providing training, consultation, and resource materials to educators in public schools in order to build the capacity of those educators and schools to meet the needs of students with autism spectrum disorders. Educator and school level outcomes were evaluated and information about program…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the educational and employment experiences of 10 adults who had recently been diagnosed as having a learning disability. Seven of the participants eventually obtained a high school diploma or the equivalent and they all had held a variety of entry-level jobs. The participants felt that having an…

One of the most significant changes in education over the last few decades is the movement toward inclusive education. Many schools have adopted an inclusive approach of educating students with learning disabilities (LD) in the regular classroom. The present study utilized a multiple case study approach to examine the perspectives of stakeholders…

This exploratory study measured the efficacy of an emergent literacy intervention program designed to support preschool children who have been identified as having specific language impairments. Specifically, the study compares two intervention approaches--an experimental emergent literacy intervention and a traditional intervention based on…

The authors examined the nature of the working memory system that underlies age differences of young, preschool-aged children. Measures of working memory, short-term memory, articulation speed, general intelligence, and writing were administered to 166 Canadian preschool-aged children aged 3 to 5 years. Findings generally support the hypothesis…

An age-matched/achievement-matched design was utilized to examine the cognitive functioning of children with severe arithmetic difficulties. A battery of cognitive tasks was administered to three groups of elementary aged children: 20 children with severe arithmetic difficulties (SAD), 20 children matched in age (CAM) to the children with SAD, and…

This article reviews three studies that provide evidence that students with learning disabilities (LD) display optimistic academic self-beliefs, even in the face of relatively poor academic performance. In the first study, a quantitative approach was used to explore the spelling and writing self-efficacy of 133 adolescents with and without LD.…

This paper describes cases of two adolescents with learning disabilities working in automotive repair businesses as part of a work-based education program. Neither adolescent was judged to have been successful by the workplace supervisors. The frameworks chosen for analyzing these cases draw upon recent work in self-determination, workplace…

While it is easy to call for the reconciliation of cognitive and socially influenced cognitive accounts of learning and learning disabilities, it is more challenging to take these two perspectives into account consistently and simultaneously. This article offers a response on five papers that represent the ongoing work of early career scholars in…

Canadian teachers in inclusive classrooms are encountering more students with ADHD-like behaviours and making more referrals for formal diagnosis of the condition. Previous research suggests that ADHD diagnoses are susceptible to highly inconsistent and arbitrary assessment processes/criteria (Sanford & Ridley, 1995), thus probably contributing to…

Teachers need to expand their understanding of language in order to meet the diverse language and literacy needs of their students. Students may demonstrate deficits in the domains of language form (phonology, morphology, syntax), content (semantics), and use (pragmatics). However, existing studies have only investigated teachers' knowledge of…

Large-scale assessment programs are becoming increasingly common throughout Canada and the United States. Given the emphasis on inclusive education in North America, special education students are largely expected to participate in these programs. However, several challenges exist for educators, policymakers, and psychometricians with respect to…

This study involved a qualitative examination of the personal characteristics that university students saw as important in helping them to compensate for their reading difficulties at various stages of their education. The sample consisted of 10 undergraduate students or recent graduates who reported a significant history of reading difficulties.…

This case study investigated the impact of selected types of adaptive and assistive technology (AT) on the learning gains and academic achievement levels of a female student with mild disabilities in her sixth and seventh grades in a Catholic school board in northeastern Ontario. Interviews were conducted with the parent, student, and pre-service…