This paper reviews current proposals concerning the definition of dyslexia and contrasts it with reading comprehension impairment. We then discuss methods for early identification and review evidence that teacher assessments and ratings may be valid screening tools. Finally, we argue that interventions should be theoretically motivated and…

Better teacher evaluation should lead to better instruction and improved outcomes for students, but more accurate classification of teachers requires better information than is now available. Because existing measures of performance are incomplete and imperfect, measured performance does not always reflect true performance. Teachers who are truly…

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) established new provisions for specific learning disability (SLD) identification, including: (a) no longer requiring consideration of IQ-achievement discrepancy and (b) permitting response to intervention (RTI) as part of SLD evaluation procedures. We discuss several…

Dyslexia is a term that has been applied since the early part of the 20th Century to many students with reading difficulties. The term comes from medicine, but its broadest application is within education. Many educators, however, remain confused about the term in spite of the fact that major advances in the understanding of dyslexia have been…

The booklet presents 36 policy statements related to the provision of educational services to exceptional children in Ontario. These policy statements are updated versions of 31 statements formulated in 1973. The statements cluster in six major areas (sample subtopics in parentheses): (1) goals and commitments to the education of exceptional…

A survey of 51 state departments of education focused on learning disabilities definitions, identification criteria, and operationalization procedures. Results showed the continued impact of the 1977 federal definition and criteria. Findings are compared with those from a 1985 survey and discussed in terms of trends, prereferral interventions,…

Several validation methods for the identification and dissemination of exemplary educational programs are explored, and the rationales for methods developed by the Program Effectiveness Panel are discussed. Comparative advantages and disadvantages of four selected methods are reviewed, and recommendations are made for policymakers and…

The survey of all 50 state departments of education (and the District of Columbia examined nondiscriminatory evaluation policy. The examination of state policy documents included both an analysis of regulatory language and implementation procedures. State adherence to Public Law 94-142 Protection in Evaluation Procedures (PEP) and the development…

Information on identifying handicapped children was collected and analyzed, in order to evaluate Illinois-required case study components and assessment procedures. A literature review chapter discusses assessment of health, academic status, and individual strengths/weaknesses, and provides summaries of best practices. In regard to method, a survey…

Elementary-aged students (n=106) who had been referred for evaluation as possibly mildly/educably mentally handicapped were administered audiometric and visual acuity tests. Discriminant function analysis found no relationship between test results and classification/placement as mildly handicapped. Alternate testing procedures are recommended for…

This paper provides an analysis of the current status of the states' eligibility policies for children with disabilities, ages 3 through 5. The study of all states and the District of Columbia indicated that states have made substantial progress toward developing eligibility policy since the passage of Public Law 99-457, the 1986 Amendments to the…

This position paper addresses the creation of a new category of eligibility for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, "Developmental Delay," which would only be applicable to children ages 3 to 5. Such a classification would address concerns about labeling young children, lack of confidence in assessment…

The report documents the first stage of an 18-month study to determine the effectiveness of existing California legislation for identification of 3- to 5-year old children with special needs. Local service sites (N=112) responded to a questionnaire which addressed implementation of eligibility criteria at local sites, improvement of the…

A project that sought to describe current policies and practices for the recognition, identification, assessment, and provision for the needs of Scottish children with specific learning difficulties associated with literacy is described. Other aims were: to identify criteria used to judge the effectiveness of different approaches; to report on how…

The National Research Council formed a Committee on Educational Interventions for Children with Autism and charged the committee with integrating the scientific, theoretical, and policy literature and creating a framework for evaluating the scientific evidence concerning the effects and features of educational interventions for young children with…