A brief overview of mental retardation defines the concept, discusses incidence in the general population, describes characteristics of mentally retarded individuals, and discusses educational implications. References for further reading, as well as organizational resources, are provided. (JW)

This annotated bibliography identifies 17 readings, 3 videotapes, and 8 children's books concerned with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Items include guides for parents, teachers, and students; analyses of issues in the field; practical teaching guides; investigations into etiology; and resource guides.…

This digest provides an overview of autism and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It addresses: (1) the behavior of individuals with autism, such as developmental difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication, social relatedness, and leisure and play activities; (2) diagnosis and evaluation of autism; and (3) prevalence of autism and the…

This digest discusses research that documents the benefits of keeping gifted students together, the advantages and disadvantages of cluster grouping, and how to implement cluster grouping strategies. It argues that cluster grouping allows educators to come much closer to providing better educational services for groups of students with similar…

This digest summarizes what is known about gifted children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It identifies three subtypes of ADHD, noting both criteria for diagnosis and the subjective determination of what constitutes significant impairment. Discussion of differences in gifted and non-gifted children with ADHD reports findings…

Lack of success of some adult learners of English as a Second Language may be due to learning disabilities (LD). Review of research reveals that LD can affect every aspect of learning, impairing single or multiple skills and sometimes appearing in the second language when not in the first. Identification of adult ESL learners as having LD can be…

This digest discusses the most frequently diagnosed mood disorders in children and adolescents, including major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder. The symptoms of these disorders are described, along with family and genetic causal factors, biological causal factors, and cognitive causal factors. The digest then…

Adult educators concerned with inclusiveness and social justice are addressing issues related to students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered (GLBT). Although research in mainstream adult education and published adult education materials that include GLBT issues and concerns are scarce, more resources have appeared in the last few…

The purpose of this digest is to help educators develop a curriculum for multiracial students that fosters their ability to develop a positive identity and achieve academically. To this end, the digest briefly reviews identity formation in multiracial children and then presents schoolwide and classroom strategies that have been shown to be…

Nine author-contributed papers focus on the needs of preschool gifted and talented children. M. Karnes presents "The Challenge" of educating this population, reviews characteristics of gifted/talented children, and offers guidelines for developing programs for students, including gifted minority and gifted handicapped children. A variety of…

This study explored the nature and extent of programs and services available for culturally diverse and economically disadvantaged gifted learners. Data were gathered through a questionnaire survey of directors of gifted programs in 49 states and territories and a questionnaire survey of 51 local school districts that have active programs for…

A framework for using the outdoors as a vehicle for providing meaningful language arts experiences is presented in this guide geared toward intermediate students but adaptable for other ages. The introduction outlines goals of language arts instruction and notes that activities conducted outdoors contribute to these goals because they are…

This 1992 edition provides basic information on all research projects funded by the Division of Innovation and Development, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education, through December 1991. Abstracts of 198 projects are separated into 10 sections according to the primary focus of the study. The 10 sections include:…