The study compared the effectiveness of providing elementary students with learning disabilities with either (1) instruction in both story structure and self-questioning techniques or (2) just training in story structure identification. The combined self-questioning and story structure group demonstrated the greatest gains in reading…

A study of 465 junior/senior high-school learning-disabled (LD) and seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) adolescents found that 21 percent experienced severe depressive symptomatology, with no severity differences exhibited between LD and SED students. Senior high females exhibited a more negative cognitive style than their male peers.…

The study investigated perceptions of the communication performance of 31 young adults with severe learning disabilities enrolled in a vocational education program. Students' perceptions of their own communication performance tended to be similar to those of the vocational educators. Both students and educators perceived problem solving as the…

This response argues that Linda Siegel's paper (EC221505) confuses measures of intelligence with predicted achievement, calls for doing away with the construct of learning disabilities rather than the discrepancy definition model, and overlooks the need to determine which students qualify for special educational services for treatment of learning…

The need for direct, systematic vocabulary instruction in improving language comprehension abilities of hearing-impaired and learning-disabled students is discussed. Vocabulary instruction should be knowledge-based and should be combined with extensive reading opportunities. Sample instructional techniques, such as word maps, semantic feature…

The review of the literature describes services available or recommended for students with learning disabilities at community colleges and traditional four-year colleges. Although a wide variety of services are now available, there is little empirical evidence on the effectiveness of those services. (Author/DB)

Research on text processing is reviewed including the role of text structure and summarization ability. Implications for the instruction of learning-disabled students include strategy instruction and instruction in such text processing skills as identifying main idea and identifying text structure. (DB)

The review of the Test of Written Language-2 (TOWL-2) raises concerns about alternate forms reliability, subtest reliability, content validity, and omissions. It concludes that the TOWL-2 is an expanded and greatly modified version of the original test but may not be appropriate for identifying a student's specific writing problems. (DB)

Fifty-three parents of children with educable mental handicaps, behavioral disorders, and learning disabilities completed a questionnaire on the types and numbers of program modifications needed to persuade them to accept full-time mainstreaming for their elementary-level children. Parents' specific mainstreaming recommendations are discussed…

Compares the development of working memory in normally achieving children and learning disabled children. Results show a growth of working memory as a function of age. Deficits in working memory for subtypes of learning disabled children are discussed. (RJC)

Explains how a hermit crab, the classroom pet for a class of learning disabled elementary level students, stimulated various writing-related activities, including categorizing, information gathering, and poetry writing. (MM)

Tells the story of "Sally Osbourne," a gifted teacher who graduated from high school and college without being able to read and write. Finally diagnosed as dyslexic at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Sally became literate and furthered her knowledge of diverse learning needs and strategies. (MLH)

Students with learning disabilities and behavior problems need instruction designed to increase active thinking and questioning skills. Described methods for teaching these skills include T. Raphael's question-answer relationships, A. Hahn's questioning strategy, reciprocal teaching, and the "ReQuest" procedure. Practice activities for…

A systematic search of academic intervention research with students with learning disabilities published from 1978 through 1987 in eight major special education journals revealed that academic intervention with this population has received scant attention. Under- and unresearched areas are also identified. (Author/MSE)

Describes six remedial activities that teachers can use to help their learning-disabled students improve their handwriting. Provides a rationale and a step-by-step example to illustrate how to carry out each activity. (MS)