The author examines current issues in the field of learning disabilities and notes the absence of national leadership, difficulties with the definition issue, ineffective and inconsequential research, thoughtless approaches to mainstreaming, and ill-advised noncategorical teacher education. (CL)

The paper presents the case of a sixth-grade boy, labeled dyslexic, who responded positively to a biochemical approach. Remedy of iron, zinc, and Vitamin B-6 deficiencies as well as an imbalance of fatty acids resulted in improvements in hair and skin and also in reading. A biochemical approach to behavior problems is proposed. (Author/CL)

Fifty-five poor readers and 58 normal readers in grade six were presented a modified version of B. Hamill's tone pattern-phrase matching procedure. Consistent with Hamill's adults, Ss tended to choose phrases which matched long tone durations to content words and short durations to function words. (Author/CL)

The paper reviews the interpersonal social difficulties of learning disabled students, discusses possible reasons for the lack of social skills instruction to this population, and addresses the need to teach them social skills. (CL)

The systems approach for learning disabilities provides a contextual perspective which incorporates both school and family considerations. Research on families with a learning disabled child is reviewed. Family factors which facilitate adjustment of the learning disabled child are explored. Implications for assessment and intervention as well as…

Fifteen nondisabled children were superior in performance to 15 learning disabled Ss on transformation that required reordering or abandoning previously learned strategies. For the majority of transformation tasks, significant ability group differences occurred on the encoding and retrieval stage of processing. Results suggest that learning…

A referral population of 108 six- to 11-year-olds was divided into Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and non-ADD subgroups and were compared on two intelligence tests and a measure of depression. Though not intellectually distinct, the ADD group was more depressed relative to teacher ratings. The possibility that diagnostic criteria for ADD are…

Forty young navy recruits were selected for hair mineral analysis on the basis of three criteria: mental test scores, demerits during training, and premature discharge from the navy. Statistical analysis revealed several significant relationships between behavioral criteria and mineral measures. Findings confirmed, in a nonclinical sample, hair…

A project is described which will design, develop, field test, and refine a computer-based instructional system for remediating problems in memory and metacognition of students with hearing disabilities. The system will focus on fundamental cognitive skills underlying every content area. (CL)

The article examines the curricular dilemmas of resource teachers serving learning disabled students and proposes an instructional content emphasis that would include school and society--learning skills. The article also offers the term learning specialist. (CL)

A learning disability index (LDI) based on a principal components analysis of the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised normative data has been developed to depict verbal or nonverbal deficits on that test. Ss (N=1550) referred for educational difficulties returned mean scores on the LDI that were reliably different from expected scores…

The application of the kinesthetic method to spelling, writing, and reading is described and a study of the method's effectiveness is compared to conventional approaches. The kinesthetic method proved more effective as the at-risk (experimental) Ss did significantly better than students not considered at risk (control Ss) in a normal classroom.…

The author reviews the background and development of the PAC (Parallel Alternate Curriculum) Program, designed to improve the learning of all students (including learning disabled students) by helping teachers maintain them in the mainstream classroom. Adminstrative support is cited as a key element in the program's success. (CL)

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 79 special education supervisors revealed that (1) schools are satisfied with appraisal services provided; (2) the majority of districts contract for appraisal services; (3) employed examiners are more involved in total assessment processes than contracted examiners; and (4) examiners do not participate in…

The study involving 28 educationally handicapped (EH) and 25 learning disabled LD/EH children (mean ages 13 and 12 years) included among its results that EH Ss took significantly more personal responsibility for academic failure than did LD/EH Ss; EH Ss attributed success to ability but failure to both lack of ability and lack of effort.…