Most conceptualizations of learning disabilities are based on discrepancies between ability and achievement, but the dimensions of this parameter have not been documented. Discrepancies for 83 third graders, 48 fifth graders, and 50 twelfth graders were compared. The use of ability achievement discrepancies to determine the need for special…

The article contains suggestions for assessing and instructing culturally and linguistically different students with special emphasis on ways to distinguish the learning disabled from students who differ due to cultural and linguistic background and the need to focus on students' strengths and previously gained knowledge. (Author/DB)

An intervention framework for the management of communication disorders in learning disabled children is presented. The model is comprised of three components: communicative intentions (what a speaker wants to convey), presupposition (a speaker's message in relation to specific information needs of a listener), and the social organization of…

All physical activities incorporate perceptual motor coordination, and physical activities for learning disabled children should provide from among three types of movement outcomes--movement control, movement behavior, or movement experience. Instruction should focus on task analysis, the student's strengths, and success with an appropriate amount…

The paper delineates three observable and measurable variables in the regular classroom (response opportunity, teacher-student interaction, and social acceptance) which the placement team can use to make the initial placement decision and to evaluate educational progress in the future for learning disabled students. (Author)

This article suggests ways in which the consumer of educational research can critically evaluate research reports in terms of sample and methodology, design and statistical treatment, and results and interpretation. The reader is alerted to sources of deliberate and nondeliberate bias and to fallacious use and/or interpretation of statistics.…

The author introduces 10 articles on language arts and learning disabilities (LD) and presents evidence for her contention that reading should be viewed within the context of a general model of language. For related information see EC 132 759-768. (CL)

The article presents an approach to informal assessment of written expression which allows the teacher to determine the skills acquired and correctly used by the student, the skills needing remediation, and the skills to be introduced. For related information see EC 132 758-767. (Author)

The article discusses the Division of Children with Learning Disabilities (DCLD) Code of Ethics and Competencies for Teachers of Learning Disabled Children and Youth and reviews each of its stated purposes related to: teacher training programs, certification standards, employment criteria, and monitoring of ongoing professional practices.…

Focus is on a conceptualization of initial assessment and consultation, the problem-solving paradigm as a framework for guiding this activity, and a description of procedures and initial data from a demonstration program. (Author/DLS)

The article describes a teacher support system model to help regular classroom teachers meet the needs of mainstreamed handicapped children. Based on a survey of perceived prerequisite skills and competencies for dealing with learning and behavior disorders, the Teacher Assistance Team concept was developed to provide a day-to-day peer…

The U.S. Secretary of Education describes the Department of Education's READ*WRITE*NOW! Initiative which aims to increase literacy rates by encouraging early and frequent reading as well as summer reading for children and youth, including those with learning disabilities. The need for a closer relationship between research and practice in reading…

The article examines whether the material-appropriate processing approach can anticipate and explain the mnemonic effects of elaborative encoding tasks and study adjuncts for less able learners. Evidence suggests that less able learners are not capable of spontaneously exploiting the affordances of the to-be-learned material without appropriate…

This article describes the concept and varieties of mnemonic instruction and how mnemonics interacts with the specific learning characteristics of learning-disabled students. The effectiveness of the techniques, as reported in research studies, is described. Implications for classroom instruction and further research are provided. (DB)

The paper describes and advocates process-oriented rather than product-oriented approaches to language intervention for students with language-learning disabilities. The paper discusses the need for different reasoning strategies in language intervention, a "levels of competence" macromodel for language intervention, a process-oriented micromodel,…