Several studies indicate that many disabled children in New Zealand regular classes whom teachers and parents believe require special educational services are not being referred. Possible reasons for nonreferral and strategies for locating preschool and school-aged children are considered. (Author/CL)

Early intervention in France begins with compulsory screening of all infants at birth, nine months, and at two years. Problems remain, especially in the availability of adequate support and of services for the handicapped child. Interdisciplinary teams operate from "early medico-social activity centers" to provide a variety of…

The author reviews research to show that the Wechsler Scales (the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) can be grossly unrepresentative of the general population in identifying mental retardation. (CL)

Regression analyses and classification accuracy on 136 kindergarteners indicated that performance on the Language Identification Screening Test for Kindergarten was at a level comparable to the Bankson Language Screening Test and above the Test of Language Development, the Test for Auditory Comprehension of Language, and the Carrow Elicited…

The paper presents the results of a state-by-state survey of state agencies serving blind and visually impaired individuals. Characteristics of registers reported in use by 27 states are reviewed. (Author/CL)

The article describes project SNAP (Special Needs Action Programme), an inservice effort to improve identification and intervention with handicapped primary students in Coventry, England. The first course developed by the project, on learning difficulties, is discussed. Followup to the course is stressed, and five additional SNAP courses are…

Fifty preschool children were administered a screening test for communication disorders under two conditions (traditional pencil and paper format and a computer-managed version). It was found that the computer-managed screening test yielded satisfactory agreement for the language sections. Results of the articulation section of the screening test…

An abbreviated scoring system for the Goodenough-Harris Draw-A-Man Test found that three items had the same overall potential for correctly identifying at-risk kindergarteners as more time-consuming scoring methods. (CL)

Preliminary research suggests that the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) may be useful in identifying a variety of special needs in preschoolers, specific language disorders, and giftedness. Additional measures (such as measures of visual motor performance) may be appropriate in conjunction with the K-ABC. (CL)

Issues in the identification of learning disabilities among gifted children are addressed, and examples are presented to illustrate the need for detecting both conditions. Principles of programing for this group, including reducing external pressures on the child and maximizing opportunities for independent activity are summarized. (CL)

Examined the assessment processes (psychological and neuropsychological) used in the rehabilitation of learning disabled adults in a study of 130 vocational rehabilitation clients. Results indicated type of assessment was related to length of service but did not influence overall outcome. Only about half the clients were successfully…

Grade equivalent scores and standard scores for 32 elementary learning disabled were compared and yielded significant correlations. Mean grade equivalent scores did, however, significantly differ for the two reading measures but not when standard scores were used. The two math indices yielded nonsignificant grade equivalent scores. (Author/CL)

The relevance of the new National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities definition of learning disabilities is discussed in relation to the infant population. (Author/CL)

The author suggests that controversies over defining learning disabilities (LD) have resulted from confusion between diagnosis and definition and from disagreement over the discrepancy issue. He further suggests that LD students are a subset of age- and ability-referenced underachievers. (CL)

An economical procedure for identifying the dyslexic child is described using a parent questionnaire, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (particularly noting behavioral idiosyncrasies), a brief sentence reading test, a brief spelling test, and lateralty tests. Procedures for synthesizing the evaluation information are considered.…