The role of cohesion and the types of cohesive ties (grammatical, transitional, and lexical) found in written text are examined in order to help teachers establish appropriate instructional objectives. (CL)

Fifty intermediate level learning disabilities students participated in the Purdue Creative Thinking Program. Ss in the LD experimental group made significantly greater scores than LD control Ss in divergent thinking as measured by the verbal and figural subtests of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking. (Author/CL)

A unit on human sexuality for learning disabled secondary students was developed through an investigation of philosophy, content, need, and materials design. The unit was taught to six students who improved their scores from a range of 58-84 percent to a range of 90-100 percent on the criterion referenced pre/posttest. (Author/CL)

Results of a study involving control, learning disabled, and attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADD-H) children (14 per group, aged 8-10 years) revealed that LD and ADD-H Ss habituated more rapidly, but they also encoded fewer aspects of the stimulus field than control Ss. (CL)

Fourth graders who were good readers (N=95) and poor readers (N=27) were given tests of syntactic competence, vocabulary, and auditory and reading comprehension. Scores on the auditory and reading comprehension tests were significantly correlated. Poor readers performed significantly poorer on the syntactic test, but results did not support the…

Suggests a post hoc analysis procedure for use with the type of data likely in mastery testing--skewed, nonnormal in distribution with a truncated range. It is suggested that various characteristics of the data be examined if analysis using parametric multivariate techniques is conducted. (Author/CL)

L. Gordon's Survey of Interpersonal Values was used to compare 136 parents of normal and learning disabled children. Fathers of LD boys scored higher on Independence and Leadership and lower on Conformity and Support. Mothers of LD boys favored authoritative attitudes; same-sexed experimental mothers valued conformity and sources of emotional and…

Cognitive behavior modification (CBM), Direct Instruction (DI), and holistic approaches to the education of students with learning disabilities are compared for purposes of identifying similarities and differences in instructional practice. Comparative discussions are organized around four distinctions: specific vs. general, bottom-up vs.…

Nine elementary students with attention problems and behavior disorders participated in a comparison of computer assisted instruction (CAI), traditional instruction (TI), and no practice on the mastery of spelling words. Both CAI and TI were significantly more effective than no-practice. There were no significant differences between the CAI and TI…

The author describes the use of the revised Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude and the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery for students with learning disabilities. He cautions about making a diagnosis on the basis of only one test. (CL)

Issues and needs identified in a 1984 survey of professionals in the field of learning disabilities are summarized and grouped as follows: (1) theory and research; (2) practice and related applied research (subtyping, differential programming, intervention focus, efficacy, and prevention/early intervention); (3) training (including categorical…

A review of the history and current status of screening and differential diagnosis in the field of learning disabilities concludes that continued efforts at refinements in diagnosis/classification are unproductive. The authors offer a variety of concrete recommendations from a data-based perspective to make appropriate educational experiences…

Fundamental assumptions concerning the cause of learning disabilities are described and criticized. At a broader level, research and theory in three different paradigms are discussed: (1) neuropsychological; (2) information processing; and (3) applied behavior analysis. Four recommendations for future progress in the conceptualization and…

Following its administration to 215 students (117 classified as regular and 98 as learning disabled), the Junior-Senior High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ) was reported to be useful as a differentiating diagnostic instrument, and was recommended as a screening device and as a measure of continuing progress. (JW)

The article traces etiological factors in the development of social interactional problems of learning disabled children and youth. Treatment issues centering on family interaction patterns are described, and an integrated treatment approach involving family intervention is recommended. (JW)