Many college students receiving accommodations for specific learning disability (SLD) do not meet objective criteria for the disorder. Furthermore, whether students meet criteria depends on the diagnostic decision model used by their clinician. The authors examined whether the relationship between diagnostic model and likelihood of meeting…

A new generation of Hispanic students are at risk due to inadequacies in our educational system. The inadequacies which include lack of prepared teachers and misuse of testing and assessment procedures impact special education programs, in particular, when one examines practices relative to Latino students in the area of learning disabilities. The…

The article logs descriptive demographic and psychometric data on 1,839 randomly selected learning disabled students from across Iowa. In contrast to the results of other studies, nearly 75 percent of the students in Iowa LD programs met a moderate level of academic discrepancy. Variability was found among the standard scores for the achievement…

This study analyzed diagnostic profiles of 151 children with disabilities receiving Head Start services. Three clinical clusters emerged which described the children along demographic, developmental/medical, family/home, and academic dimensions. Far more children with learning disabilities (26%) and serious emotional disturbances (29%) were…

Reviewed are medical and educational procedures in the evaluation of a child with a learning disorder in the state of Mississippi. (IM)

The accuracy of a risk index, based on reproductive, perinatal, and demographic factors, to predict learning disabilities was tested with full-term and preterm infants (N=156). Socioeconomic status, birth order, and for the preterm group, severity of illness in the perinatal period were the most significant predictors of developmental outcomes.…

The study examines data on the current LD (learning disability) population in the School District of Philadelphia. Data were drawn from files of demographic and achievement figures, individual special education files, and interviews with psychologists, instructional advisors, parents, and teachers. Findings are presented in terms of four major…

Teachers estimated the prevalence of emotional and learning disorders in 51,739 children aged 5 to 14 years in Vancouver City. A mean rate of identification of 8.2 percent of children in public schools was found. Boys preponderated substantially over girls except for those aged 14 years. (Author)

The Learning Disability Index (LDI) was validated by an examination for mean profiles and demographic characteristics of high and low LDI subsets of the standardization sample of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. The LDI continuum was found to measure Third Factor strengths/weaknesses as much as verbal-performance…

A survey was conducted of Virginia public school programs during 1970-71 for children with either learning disabilities (LD) or emotional disturbances (ED). Six survey questions covered demographic information, nature of children served, actual function of teachers' roles, referral and placement procedures, and administrative planning and…

A study involving 4,141 schools investigated gender and race/ethnicity disproportionality among students identified as having learning disabilities. There was a clear association between ethnicity and gender and the odds of being identified as a student with learning disabilities. School sociodemographic factors also associated with the proportion…

Demographic data, IQ, achievement, perceptual-motor, behavior ratings, and diagnostic classification (learning, mental, emotional disability or no handicap) were analyzed for all children (N=2002) referred for complete psychological evaluation during one school year in Iowa. Learning disabled children showed a distinct pattern different from…

This study compared state disparities in the diagnosis of students with learning disabilities. It found that state prevalence of learning disability was moderately explained by demographic and sociopolitical factors (unlike four common physical disabilities) and that these same factors strongly predicted the extent of mainstreaming and the size of…

The report examines the status of special education in St. Louis (Missouri) Public Schools. Census data are reported by primary handicap, age, and principle type of service received. Difficulties in the process of diagnosis and assignment of handicap category are revealed, including confusion over eligibility for learning disabled (LD) and…

Papers included are the following: design for organizing and administering special education by Paul R. Ackerman and William C. Geer; indications of patterns and trends in special education, by Marvin E. Beekman; the organization of special education services, by John W. Kidd; and organization and administration of special education, by Harrie M.…