The article describes the teaching and research activities of a primary classroom in Australia which serves 8- to 11-year-old children who have major deficits in basic academic skills. Sections address classroom organization, referral, entry, teaching programs, and procedures. The cases of two children are presented to demonstrate the effects of…

The effects of the teacher directed language training approach of C. Bereiter and S. Engelmann and the child centered language training approach of M. Blank were experimentally investigated with descriptor words and functor words in four children, aged four to five, whose language was deficient in these parts of speech. (Author/SBH)

The study was designed to determine the effects of the Neurological Impress Method (NIM) as an approach to remediation of reading disabilities in 44 children (7 to 14 years old) classified as learning disabled. (SBH)

Reviews studies investigating the indirect effects of language interventions on phonology and of phonological intervention on morphosyntax. Results of the review indicate that there is greater evidence to support facilitatory effects of phonological intervention on morphosyntactic performance, especially for children with severe impairments in…

The effects of reinforcement choice on task performance were examined with six individuals (ages 6-39) who had been diagnosed with severe to profound mental retardation. Findings indicated that access to choice did not improve the task performance of the subjects when highly preferred items were already incorporated into instructional programs.…

This article first outlines the logic of null hypothesis testing and the problems of using it to evaluate special education research. It then presents three alternative metrics, a binomial effect size display, a relative risk ratio, and an odds ratio, that can better identify important treatment effects using illustrative data from recently…

Discusses what a quality curriculum should look like for a student with severe disabilities, who should determine curricular content, the basis for selection of curricular content, and how individualized curricular content can be appropriately addressed in a classroom where students without disabilities are pursuing different curricular content.…

The authentic professional development (APD) model is presented as an effective approach for providing professional development for teachers of classes that include students with learning disabilities. A study involving 57 teachers indicated higher implementation rates in classrooms of teachers who participated in the APD model rather than…

Thirteen children (age 8-14) with an auditory-linguistic subtype of learning disability participated for 1 year in a Tomatis Program of auditory training and were assessed in a 2-year follow-up study. Results fail to support educational efficacy of the program but do support the efficacy of less exotic remedial procedures. (Author/JDD)

Early intervention programs are very diverse in clientele served, ages served, staffing, focus of services, location of service, length of service, agencies responsible, and funding. The Early Intervention Research Institute at Utah State University is investigating the efficacy of early intervention programs; 13 of its ongoing longitudinal…

This editorial describes the role of early intervention programs in helping children with disabilities, focusing on parents' and infants' needs, the Family Service Plan, and the role of case managers. The editorial cautions that: early intervention's effectiveness is unproven, early is not always better, and more is not always better. (JDD)

The Transition Institute at the University of Illinois analyzed 15 studies that had identified effective or exemplary transition programs for students with disabilities. The analysis revealed 107 key elements associated with effectiveness or exemplary program status, including variables in career/vocational training, systematic interdisciplinary…

This paper encourages the use of multiple logistic analysis in early intervention research, to assess the degree of association of multiple factors (such as subject or situational characteristics) with a dichotomous outcome (such as benefitting or not benefitting from an intervention) and to estimate the probability of each outcome. (JDD)

Parent training programs have been effective interventions for middle-income families with children who have developmental, learning, and behavioral problems. Results have been mixed with low-income families, however. Tested practical parenting program with both middle- and low-income parents (n=34). Results indicated significant improvements for…

The progress of 55 clients (ages 18-71) during their first year in a program for persons who are both mentally retarded and psychiatrically impaired was described. The clients increased their level of independence and decreased their frequency of problem behaviors. Unmet needs of this population for residential alternatives and community supports…