Background and Aims: A literature review of both Eastern and Western literature regarding families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) revealed limited empirical research that examines ASD in China. Furthermore, most research in this area comes from a deficit model and there is a lack of research that comes from a strengths background.…

The use of standardized psychoeducational diagnostic instruments to identify learning disabilities was evaluated with 19 students (ages 7 to 13) with sensorineural hearing impairments. Students with hearing impairment were found to demonstrate learning disabilities with a frequency similar to that found in students with normal hearing, suggesting…

What really works in alternate assessment based on alternate achievement standards? Every state is working to know the answer--both to comply with federal requirements for evaluating students with severe cognitive disabilities, and to ensure that all students reach their full potential. This comprehensive book is the first to gather today's best…

The monograph provides a review of research studies over the past 25 years which have made use of the Attitude Toward Disabled Persons (ATDP) Scale. The report focuses on pertinent information about the scales, their psychometric properties, and the multitude of ways they have been used. An introductory chapter looks briefly at the history of the…

The accuracy of 3 developmental screening tests administered to 89 young children was compared. The Battelle Developmental Inventory Screening Test was more accurate than the Academic Scale of the Developmental Profile-II and the Denver-II, identifying correctly 72% of children with difficulties and 76% of children without diagnoses. (Author/JDD)

This study, involving 118 adolescents and adults with deafness, found a high level of concurrent criterion validity for the National Independent Living Skills (NILS) Screening Instrument. The study concluded that the NILS is a valid tool for assessing independent living skills of persons age 16 and older with a hearing impairment and possible…

The Questionnaire on Resources and Stress (short form) was completed by 51 mothers and 42 fathers of children with severe developmental disabilities. Factor analysis of parcels found that gender of parent seemed to have minimal effect on perceptions of stress and coping. Validity of the questionnaire for use with mothers and fathers was supported.…

This manual describes the Wisconsin Sensorimotor Pointing Assessment (WSPA) for individuals with severe communication deficits complicated by other cognitive or motor disabilities, and provides guidelines for its administration. The WSPA was designed to quantify four categories of sensory and motor abilities necessary for initiating and accurately…

The validity of the schizophrenia subscale of the Psychopathology Instrument for Mentally Retarded Adults (PIMRA) was evaluated with 65 adults having mild to moderate mental retardation as well as either schizophrenia, depression, or no psychopathology. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted, as were interrater reliability analyses.…

The Survey of Teenage Readiness and Neurodevelopmental Status (STRANDS), which includes a questionnaire and structured interview designed to assist in assessing learning problems in high school students, was administered to 54 older adolescents either normally achieving or with learning disabilities. Results provided preliminary support for the…

This study evaluated the Clarke modification of the Questionnaire on Resources and Stress with parents (n=367) of autistic, mentally retarded, learning-disabled, and asymptomatic children. Good internal consistency, split-half reliability, and coefficient of stability were obtained as well as acceptable construct and concurrent validities.…

This study investigated diagnosis of learning problems in 177 boys (ages 6-13) with behavior problems. The standard score discrepancy method and standard score plus low achievement method were more likely to identify children with above-average intelligence quotients as learning disabled, whereas a regression approach identified learning…

Comparison of scores of 35 third- and fourth-grade students with learning disabilities on 3 major achievement tests found high positive correlations among the reading subtests. Agreement across all 3 tests for learning disability eligibility in the basic reading skills area was found in 20 of 35 cases and 9 of 35 cases in reading comprehension.…

This study examined the validity and internal and interrater reliability of the Wing Subgroups Questionnaire, an assessment that classifies children with autism into subtypes. Subjects were 42 students (ages 5 to 22) enrolled in multihandicapped special education classrooms. Findings support the reliability and validity of the questionnaire for…

This study examined the early profiles of 270 kindergarten students screened for learning difficulties in kindergarten with SEARCH (an early identification measure) of which 32 had inadequate reading skills at the end of second grade. The SEARCH instrument tended to underidentify children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and overidentify…