Most definitions of emotionally disturbed youngsters suggest that disturbances in the child's behavior patterns cause academic and social problems which affect the child and his peers. While the process of identification may be facilitated by operational criteria within a definition, these factors are noticeably absent from definitions of…

This is a quiet rant. A request to revisit an article reprinted in this issue prompted it and I focus on context and purpose of the original article, lack of developments in the field since the article was published, and favored directions to take in the future related to the focus of the original work. [This classic article was indexed in ERIC in…

Psychometric test performances of two groups of school children were analyzed: 80 fourth graders, 40 of whom had been identified by their school district as learning disabled (LD); and 51 children referred for "possible LD placement" and diagnosed LD or not LD by school district personnel applying a severe discrepancy criteria. Results…

The author criticizes an article defending the concept of learning disabilities and points out methodological concerns. He asserts that the term has not only not reduced ambiguities and inconsistencies in the definitions but has increased competition for diminishing federal and state support. (CL)

The extent to which identification as learning disabled is a function of the definition used and the extent to which different classifications would result from use of different definitions were examined in a study involving 51 students (6 to 12 years old) referred for psychological evaluation as a result of academic difficulties. The school…

In response to Hallahan et al, the authors suggest that variability in prevalence is a function of the methods used to examine prevalence differences and that the effect specific discrepancy criteria for learning disabilities have on the number of students identified is the critical issue. (Author/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)

The article looks at the concept of discrepancy between ability and achievement in conceptualizations of learning disabilities. Comparison of ability and achievement scores found generally small average discrepancies, though some wide ranges were evident. Implications of the findings for current and future use of discrepancies as estimators of…

The authors suggest that the confusion and controversy over definitions of learning disabilities have been unproductive. They review findings on the assessment decision making process and emphasize the need for a new perspective on assessment and intervention. (CL)

Three investigations examined the effects of IQ and chronological age (CA) on the calculation of severe discrepancy levels of 102 hypothetical and 125 actual severely learning disabled students (5 to 17 years old). Results indicated that IQ was highly influential on obtained severe discrepancy levels (SDLs) and related percentage discrepancies;…

This article discusses concerns with the No Child Left Behind definition of scientifically based research and its preference for random-assignment experiments. It proposes that instead of playing the victim, critics should illustrate the important findings that have advanced the field using research methodologies other than randomized experiments.…