Presented is the final report of a project to design and implement improved instructional programs for disadvantaged handicapped (retarded or learning disabled) children at the elementary grade level. Activities are described which were conducted to accomplish the following objectives: to initiate, evaluate, and document a crisis-intervention…

In October 1983, the National Institute of Handicapped Research (NIHR) released its report on the state-of-the-art meeting on the Special Rehabilitation Needs of Learning Disabled Adults. This article presents the seven research priorities forwarded to NIHR and the method by which they were generated. (Author/CT)

This study investigated diagnosis of learning problems in 177 boys (ages 6-13) with behavior problems. The standard score discrepancy method and standard score plus low achievement method were more likely to identify children with above-average intelligence quotients as learning disabled, whereas a regression approach identified learning…

Clinical and psychoeducational data were analyzed for 119 children (ages 8-16) referred for learning and/or behavior problems. A learning disability was present in 70 percent of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. A learning disability in written expression was two times more common than a learning disability in reading, math,…

Understanding the criteria and process for determining a student's eligibility for special education services is critical for any educator in an inclusive school environment. Based on the current reauthorization of IDEA 2004, this timely resource offers teachers and administrators an overview of each eligible disability and clear, specific…

This paper reviews the assessment and diagnosis of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. To provide baseline information, consideration is given to outcome studies for adults who were first diagnosed with ADHD as children. Studies of clinical assessment methods are addressed, and previous diagnostic criteria are compared to…

The paper examines implications of the high incidence of learning disabilities in children with Tourette Syndrome. Tourette Syndrome is a neurological disorder that causes involuntary muscle jerks and vocalizations. Approximately 60% of children with Tourette Syndrome are classified as learning disabled. It is possible that this high correlation…

The origins and nature of auditory dysfunction in school age children and the role of the audiologist in the evaluation of the learning disabled child are reviewed. Specific structures and mechanisms responsible for the reception and perception of auditory signals are specified. (Author/SEW)

This study examined the performance of 96 youth hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital on a battery of language measures. Participants with both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and language learning disabilities (LLD) performed similarly to those with only LLD but significantly more poorly than those with only ADHD or with neither…

Noting a high incidence of learning disabilities among students with visual impairments, this article compares definitions of the two conditions. Common assessment approaches are discussed and those inappropriate for students with low vision or blindness are identified. Suggested intervention approaches include adaptation of the environment,…

The paper defines the population of primary school age language/learning-disabled children with communication disorders and emotional/behavioral disorders. It then discusses the language demands of traditional treatment methods, assessment and diagnostic procedures, approaches to communication intervention, and treatment modalities; and offers a…

A study examined central auditory processing ability of 15 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 15 children with ADHD and learning disabilities (LD), and 15 controls. Results indicated lower central-auditory-processing ability and significant correlations between reading and ADHD and reading and…

Noting the high incidence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in programs for children with emotional disturbances or learning disabilities, this article reviews evidence that comorbid diagnoses affect outcomes differentially and that psychopharmacologic treatments may be superior to behavioral interventions, depending on this…

This paper presents information on the diagnostic criteria and management of disorders that may be wrongly identified as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or may coexist with ADHD thus complicating identification and treatment. The disorders discussed are: depression, mania, primary disorder of vigilance, narcolepsy, developmental…

Eight papers on the diagnosis and treatment of handicapped children comprise proceedings of a conference for Directors of Special Education, past and present Regional Resource Center Directors, and the staff of the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped. E. Martin explains the rationale of Regional Resource Centers. A systems analysis of the…