Differences between and interrelationships among reading and math achievement test scores for 269 students with learning disabilities were investigated to determine whether previous findings were replicable. Findings supported previous research that showed different achievement tests purporting to measure the same construct did not provide…

This study examined patterns of social-emotional subgroups among 122 students with learning disabilities in Israel. Cluster analysis found four subgroups: two nonlonely (one behaviorally adjusted and one with externalizing maladjustment) and two lonely (with externalizing and internalizing maladjustment). Teacher ratings, student ratings, and case…

Information from 290 school psychologists was compared to Frankenberger and Fronzaglio's 1991 data on state education department recommendations on evaluating discrepancies between ability and achievement. A trend toward more appropriate methods of quantifying discrepancies between ability and achievement was noted, but considerable questionable…

This study examined the early profiles of 270 kindergarten students screened for learning difficulties in kindergarten with SEARCH (an early identification measure) of which 32 had inadequate reading skills at the end of second grade. The SEARCH instrument tended to underidentify children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and overidentify…

Reviews the continuing overrepresentation of African-American children and youth in special education programs for students with learning disabilities, severe emotional or behavioral disabilities, and mental disabilities. Uses a critical-theory model to examine how basic assumptions, world views, beliefs, and epistemologies serve to perpetuate…

The recent reauthorization of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA; 2004) is first discussed in its historical context. Then, a programmatic line of research (funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development since 1989) is described that is relevant to a proposed model for universal…

Provisions for children with specific learning difficulties were studied in 27 secondary schools in 5 regions of Scotland. Specific learning difficulties were seen as functional weaknesses in students who might otherwise be intellectually able. Questionnaires were completed by the schools to determine: number of students with specific learning…

This guide accompanies a five-part video series on learning disabilities (total length of 40 minutes), designed to help in the identification of children who may have learning disabilities and in the development of appropriate actions on their behalf. The guide introduces three children, whose true stories are told in the videos to illustrate the…

This paper addresses the prevalence and identification of social skills deficits in students with learning disabilities. It begins by discussing the definition of learning disabilities and then reviews literature on the social difficulties of this population. Findings indicate that approximately 75 percent of children with learning disabilities…

Performance of 100 college freshmen on the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery, Part II, Tests of Achievement, were analyzed by subtests and cluster scores to determine appropriateness for assessing achievement of handicapped students. Minor inversions in item order and pronounced ceiling effects on all subtests yielded lowered subtest and…

Using a counterbalanced order, 34 learning disabled students were given the Peabody Individual Achievement Test and the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests. When scores in reading recognition and comprehension subtests were compared, Peabody scores were higher, indicating that fewer students were certifiable as learning disabled by Peabody scores than…

Birthdates and educational histories of special education students (N=291) were analyzed to determine how school entrance age affected placement in special education programs. Analyses were significant for learning disabled and emotionally disturbed, but not mildly mentally retarded students, suggesting that parents and educators must insist on…

The relationship between 13 demographic social variables and the numbers of students placed in four objective and four subjective special education classifications for one school year was examined using 50 states and Washington, DC. None of the objective, but two of the subjective classifications were strongly associated with socioeconomic…

This executive summary discusses the definition of learning disabilities (LD) and how students are identified as having a learning disability. It begins by outlining four major methods that are used to compute the discrepancy-based definition of LD and the flaws of the discrepancy-based model. It then describes an approach to defining LD that is…

This information packet provides an overview of learning disabilities. Information includes the following: (1) the definition of learning disability; (2) incidence of learning disabilities; (3) criteria used to decide whether a person has a learning disability; (4) common causes of learning disabilities; (5) the importance of early identification;…