The current study examined the effectiveness of a reading curriculum of explicit instruction on the letter-sound knowledge of a sample of elementary-aged students with Down syndrome. The procedures were adapted from prior research (King et al., 2020; Lemons et al., 2018; Lemons et al., 2015). Three participants between 9 and 11 years old…

Purpose: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders historically exhibit lower and more variable nonverbal intelligence (NVIQ) scores compared to their typically developing peers. We hypothesize that the intrinsic characteristics of the tests themselves, particularly the cognitive constructs they assess, may account for both the lower scores and…

The objective of this research was to develop robust predictive models of the gains in working memory (WM) and fluid intelligence (Gf) following executive attention training in children, using genetic markers, gender, and age variables. We explore the influence of genetic variables on individual differences in susceptibility to intervention.…

Purpose: Most assessment tools used to diagnose and characterize autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were developed for in-person administration. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in the need to adapt traditional assessment tools for online administration with only minimal evidence to support validity of such practices. Methods:…

This study examined adaptive functioning, strategies used to develop adaptive functioning skills, and areas where additional services could benefit autistic young adults without intellectual disability. Participants were 21 autistic young adults and at least one parent of each young adult. Quantitative analyses replicated previous reports of an…

The aim of this study was to examine whether the use of a response-to-intervention (RTI) model to identify specific learning disability (SLD) over-identifies children and youth with population-relative (normative) weaknesses in general cognitive ability (IQs < 90). We compared the overall score on the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test-Second…

Background & Aims: Discourse markers, such as "well" or "like," serve a variety of functions to support conversational reciprocity: filling pauses, aiding word-finding, and modulating turn-taking by holding the conversational floor. Previous research shows that autistic individuals use discourse markers less frequently than…

Labels for scores stemming from intelligence tests have been employed since their inception in the United States. The purpose of this study was to systematically identify and document score labels for IQs used during the past 102 years. Using pairs of reviewers, score labels from 40 tests were reviewed, and 61 unique labels were identified.…

Early research that relied on standardized assessments of intelligence reported negative effects of bilingualism for children, but a study by Peal and Lambert (1962) reported better performance by bilingual than monolingual children on verbal and nonverbal intelligence tests. This outcome led to the view that bilingualism was a positive…

Purpose: As evidenced by perceptual learning studies involving adult listeners and speakers with dysarthria, adaptation to dysarthric speech is driven by signal predictability (speaker property) and a flexible speech perception system (listener property). Here, we extend adaptation investigations to adolescent populations and examine whether adult…

The Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test--Second Edition (KBIT-2) is designed to measure verbal and nonverbal abilities in a wide range of individuals from 4 years 0 months to 90 years 11 months of age. This study examines both the advantages of using Mokken Scale Analysis (MSA) in intelligence tests and the hierarchical order of the items in the…

Purpose: This study examined the frequency, direction, and structural characteristics of code-switching (CS) during narratives by Spanish-English bilingual children with and without developmental language disorder (DLD) to determine whether children with DLD exhibit unique features in their CS that may inform clinical decision-making. Method:…

Research supports the efficacy of intensive literacy instruction for children with moderate intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome (DS). However, much of the literature features measures closely aligned with evaluated interventions. Despite their increasing role in instruction, curriculum-based measures (CBM) are rarely featured in reading…

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate implicit learning in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) by employing a visual artificial grammar learning task. Method: Thirteen children with DLD and 24 children with typical language development between the ages of 8 and 12 years completed a visual artificial grammar learning…

Magnet schools have been a main tool or innovation in urban education settings in the United States, originating in the early 1970's and expanding into most large urban districts today (Blank, 1989). While some magnet schools do not rely on a specific criterion to determine entry, many do. This study focuses on such a setting where students must…