The article examines the issues raised by 51 Massachusetts due process appeals in which parents of handicapped children appealed for more appropriate placements within the public schools. Results are discussed in terms of identification issues, issues related to educational or related services, and placement. (DB)

Three major problems are discussed in relation to helping disturbed children: assessment practices, the nature of emotional disturbance, and the treatment of emotional problems. The need for objectively defining emotional problems and rationally designing programs to meet individual child needs is stressed. (Author)

Recommendations for surveillance programs include: (1) screening systems should include multiple sources of data for decision making; (2) conceptually, screening should include procedures that assess the ongoing transaction between the child and the caregivers in his/her environment; and (3) surveillance should be conducted serially over time.…

Based on studies and clinical findings, two techniques for testing infant vision are described: near-retinoscopy (used to assess the refractive state of infants and young children) and a fast preferential looking procedure (used to assess the acuity of infants up to one year of age). (DLS)

A review of the literature finds that the criteria developed by Stark and Tallal (1981) for the selection of children with specific language impairment for research purposes continue to be used, in part or in whole, in current research. Additional information on the use of norm-referenced tests with this population is also provided. (Author/DB)

Reviews the history of the terms "impairment,""disability," and "handicap" in the stuttering literature and proposes alternate definitions that are more consistent with the use of the International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps. A model is proposed for discussing the outcomes of various…

Response to intervention (RTI) is a framework for providing interventions and services at increasing levels of intensity until students succeed. The framework helps teachers and schools provide instruction and interventions matched to student needs, monitor progress frequently to guide decisions about changes in instruction or goals, and apply…

The article analyzes research used to support the notion of selective attention deficits in learning disabled children. Conceptual and methodological issues involved are explored, indicating that evidence of selective attention deficits are at best inconclusive and that using these findings as the basis for classification and intervention is…

Discusses developmental apraxia of speech (DAS), a putative diagnostic category for children whose speech errors differ from errors of children with developmental speech delay and resemble errors of adults with acquired apraxia of speech. A study of 148 children with language impairments investigated the diagnosis of DAS. (Author/CR)

A review of the literature on gifted students with learning disabilities concludes that the literature is presently unable to provide empirically based guidelines for identifying and serving children who are both gifted and learning disabled. Several key problems are discussed, including identification, characteristics, and intervention.…

E. Burns' (1984) attempt to explain the below average mean IQ scores reported for samples of learning dsabled (LD) students through the use of the bivariate normal probability distribution was examined. Alternative explanations which focus on issues related to the referral, identification, and placement of children are presented.(Author)

The article summarizes concurrent policy and practice concerning categorical and noncategorical diagnostic procedures for young handicapped children. The strengths and weaknesses of four noncategorical policy options are discussed. Potential misuses of noncategorical policies are reviewed, and recommendations for policy research are offered.…

This paper reviews research on the classification of students with learning disability (LD). It first examines the evolution of LD definitions and the evidence for three components of LD classification: discrepancy, heterogeneity, and exclusion. It suggests that classification hypotheses involving discrepancy and exclusion have weak validity and…

This review of research on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) indicates that standard diagnostic criteria are overly inclusive when applied to young children, with only half of impulsive toddlers fitting the criteria for ADHD at later ages. Accurate diagnosis depends on an evaluation of behaviors, child temperament, parent-child…

Describes cortical visual impairment (CVI) as a complex condition that is not an eye condition but a brain condition. Cautions practitioners that children with CVI do not exhibit similar behaviors, that a single approach does not work for all children, and that treatment is a dynamic process. (CR)