Citing reports issued by the National Academy of Sciences on ability testing, testing of handicapped people, and placing children in special education, this paper reviews the role of psychological tests in assessments, bias in test scores, factors affecting test scores, placement considerations, effective instruction, and guidelines for assessment…

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 average age at which profoundly hearing-impaired children are identified in the United States and in Israel is compared. Israel's hearing screening programs for assessing infants are described, their effectiveness is noted, and suggestions are made for possible applications in the United States. (Author/JDD)

The paper compares characteristics of underachievers with characteristics of learning-disabled gifted children; describes results of clinical assessments of learning-disabled gifted children; offers guidelines for identifying such students; and discusses teaching strategies that can be used at school and home. (JDD)

Many gifted learning-disabled children, characterized by superior intellectual ability and difficulty in mastering basic skills, are not being identified to receive special services for either exceptionality. A multidimensional identification approach is necessary for comprehensive assessment, and successful programming must be based on the…

The KIK (Kentucky Individualized Kindergartens) project, a collaborative project between Kentucky's Department of Education and the Chapel Hill (NC) Training-Outreach project, is designed to serve high risk children. KIK provides early identification of high risk kindergarteners, development of individualized education programs, and implementation…

The preliminary report--two-thirds of which consists of tabular data--describes an early identification system used in London, Ontario (Canada) for kindergarten and first grade high risk students, and provides some data bearing on the internal consistency and concurrent validity of the system. Simple descriptive summaries of some characteristics…

Important aspects of legislation establishing the right of individuals to health protection and health promotion are highlighted. Examples from the Federal Republic of Germany are used to illustrate efforts to implement systematic measures for the prevention, early detection, early treatment, and medical rehabilitation of disabilities. (Author/JDD)

This article discusses the identification of learning-disabled and gifted students as well as the characteristics of the gifted learning-disabled. The reasons for failure to identify gifted learning-disabled students are examined, and procedures to help ensure identification of this group are outlined. (Author/JDD)

The Intellectually Gifted/Learning Disabled Project investigated characteristics of this population and implications for educational programming. Twenty-three children, aged 7 to 16 years old, were identified through a referral process involving schools and parents. Only two subjects were female. A detailed analysis of school records; individual…

This article proposes an experimental, output-oriented noncategorical alternative to traditional approaches to identification of students for special education. The "20/20 Analysis" identifies students showing the least (below twentieth percentile) and most (above eightieth percentile) progress toward educational objectives. Application in two…

The Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised, intended for children ages 3-7, is used to diagnosis exceptional intellectual ability in school settings. Its 12 subtests measure both Performance Intelligence Quotient and Verbal Intelligence Quotient. This paper describes the test's administration, summation of data,…

In an attempt to provide technically adequate screening with criteria for referring children for further evaluation, the Diagnostic Index (DI) was developed. The DI expresses the relationship between a child's chronological and developmental ages, identifies as a percentage of normal development the discrepancy between age appropriate behaviors…

A novel fundraising approach for a nonprofit school for handicapped children in Hawaii includes bed racing, donation of entertainers' time for a concert, and a parade featuring children from the school. The fundraising event is also viewed as a way to fund unserved children with subtle learning problems. Suggestions are made for successful…

Diagnostic issues associated with the syndrome of Attention Deficit Disorders are reviewed in the context of differences between the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders III" and the proposed revised version. Classification schemes, specific diagnostic criteria, developmental, and gender issues are addressed. (Author/DB)