Presents a typology for differentiating between varying definitions of educational needs. The typology is based on the assessment of learner competence, motivation, and the relevance of the learning activity. A case study to test the typology investigates the degree of interdependence of these elements in the assessment of learner needs.…

Issues relating to the categorisation and labelling of pupils, and, the use of the terms "special educational needs" and "disability" in particular, have been the topic of debate in "BJSE" before. In this article, Sue Keil, a research officer at the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), Olga Miller, of the…

There has been serious confusion between the terms "infantile autism" and "emotional disorders" in Japan, especially as pertains to special education classes. Special classes for emotionally disturbed children began in Japan in 1969 with a rapid increase to over 2000 classes by the 1980's. However, most of the children…

This document examines study skills and presents various approaches to teaching the skills at the elementary and secondary levels. The teaching of study skills should have a high priority in our schools to help students deal efficiently with their daily classroom tasks and to equip them for a lifetime of learning. There are many different ways to…

Monette divides the definitions of needs into four categories. Basic needs are caused by a deficiency and lead to gratification-seeking behavior. Felt needs are self-defined wants or desires which, when expressed, suggest an unmet need and a means of gratification or imply ultimate goals. A normative need refers to a deficiency between the present…

This current response to a 1968 article by Ray Barsch (EC 602 662) notes lack of progress in defining and classifying learning disabilities and in determining appropriate interventions to help students with learning disabilities. The paper distinguishes among three types of learning problems and notes the need for individualized transdisciplinary…

This monograph presents a general introduction to the history, classification, and characteristics of mental retardation. It begins with a discussion of the history of mental retardation from ancient Greece and Rome to the present. The beginnings of special education are traced to the early 19th century in Europe. Major influences in treatment of…

This briefing paper is intended to provide basic information about the diagnosis, educational programming, and special needs of children and youth with Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD), a group of neurological disorders usually evident by age 3 and characterized by impairments in social interaction, imaginative activity, and verbal and…

The article examines issues concerning mild mental retardation (MMR) classification and programing including placement bias litigation, MMR diagnostic construct and classification criteria, general intellectual functioning, adaptive behavior, sociocultural status, pseudo reforms through changes in assessment, the Learning Potential Assessment…

This monograph has four main objectives: (1) to define the field of ergometrics, (2) to identify some potential applications of ergometrics to problems in occupational or career education, (3) to review the relevant research literature, and (4) to suggest some conceptual approaches that might be used in conjunction with ergometric procedures.…

This paper addresses issues in the definition of traditionally underserved persons who are deaf. It notes that these people have traditionally been labeled as low functioning, low achieving, multiply handicapped, minimal language skilled, and disadvantaged. A new definition, developed by the Northern Illinois University Research and Training…

Presented in both French and English, the document contains extracts from a review of the literature on students with learning disabilities (LD) and on French speaking exceptional students' programs and needs. The review of LD includes sections on approaches to definition and classification, incidence, and definitional components (intelligence,…

This paper addresses the dilemma faced by the requirement that educators provide appropriate and effective education for higher functioning students with autism, while lacking the necessary knowledge to provide such interventions. The first section discusses the diagnosis of autism (especially noting the presence of a "triad" of deficits…

The issue of developing a new framework of industry programs for vocational education in the United States was examined in a study of the current status of programmatic structures nationally and among the 50 states. The following are among the topics that were explored: (1) the rationale for a new programmatic framework in the context of changing…

The Teaching Firm project examined the process and role of informal learning in seven high-performance work organizations in the manufacturing industry. The working concept of a teaching firm was defined as "an environment in which teaching and learning are institutionally and culturally embedded in the organization and are perceived to be…