A survey of 218 learning disabilities experts found only 30 percent believed IQ-reading achievement discrepancy should be a marker of reading disability. Over two thirds selected three markers: reading achievement, phonemic awareness, and treatment validity. Over 75 percent believed exclusion criteria should remain part of the definition with…

Suggests countering deficit explanations and negative consequences by engaging students in investigations of academic literacies. Illustrates the potential of this approach for illuminating needed changes in literacy teaching and assessment practices by describing the school experiences of two nonmainstream learners at an Ivy League university.…

Part of a 20-year longitudinal study tracing the lives of 41 individuals with learning disabilities, this report focuses on individual attitudes, emotions, and conceptions related to learning disability. A salient notion emerged from participants' narratives, which they described as "acceptance of the learning disability" and a shared set of…

Explores how university disability professionals can assist advertising or public relations campaigns teachers in accommodating the Learning Disabled (LD) student in the team or group-based learning situation to foster a cooperative environment among students and faculty. Attempts to open the discussion about what faculty should consider when…

This study compared the spatial-geometrical abilities of 85 students (ages 5-13) with learning disabilities (LD) and 94 children without LD, matched for IQ and age. Generally, students with LD did not perform as well as same-aged students without LD, suggesting that LD students experience delayed development in this general spatial-cognitive…

Four issues facing the field of learning disabilities are discussed: (1) defining learning disabilities in terms of discrepancy scores; (2) delineating the boundaries of how specific a learning disability must be; (3) identifying treatments with scientific credibility; and (4) implementing instructional policy that is in the best interest of the…

Analyzes five studies on the effects of extra examination time for students with learning disabilities. These studies directly tested the Maximum Potential Thesis, but show only weak support for it. Discusses some methodological problems that weaken these studies. (SLD)

Interviews with three students with learning disabilities about their employment problems suggest that transition services need improvement. Recommendations are for coordination among special and vocational instructors, counselors, and other support personnel, attention to the topic in teacher preparation programs, and responsiveness to workplace…

Looks at the problems for policy, research, and practice that arise from not carefully differentiating among students who manifest learning difficulties in reading and writing. Reviews the need for policy and practice that addresses the full range of barriers to learning so that all students have an opportunity to succeed. Concludes with…

This article describes how teachers can use two African and Asian games (Mancala and Sungka) to help students with learning disabilities succeed in school. It discusses the history of the games, how to play, the benefits of the games for children with disabilities, and choosing which game to use. (Contains references.) (CR)

This study examined whether the use of speech recognition technology by elementary and secondary students with learning disabilities (N=20) would demonstrate improvements in reading and spelling. Comparison with a control group indicated that the speech recognition groups showed significantly more improvement in word recognition, spelling, and…

A study investigated the effects of an instructional strategy within a graduated teaching sequence on the representation and solution of problem-solving skills encompassing integer numbers for six secondary students with learning disabilities. Results indicate problem-solving skills dramatically improved following instruction at the concrete,…

This article discusses the inclusion of high functioning individuals in the learning disability category. It argues that extending services to individuals without significant academic impairments may deplete resources for others in greater need, distort the normal processes by which individuals select careers, and diminish the credibility of the…

This analysis of the politics of learning disabilities finds that the balance between political and scientific aspects of learning disabilities has been disturbed, with political aspects being overly influential. Discussed in detail are the scientific side of learning disabilities, politics as advocacy, politics as ideology (especially Marxism),…

Discusses the potential uses of literature with people with severe and profound learning disabilities and describes a series of multisensory interactive drama games re-telling the story of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens. (Author/DB)