This review documents the learning disabilities (LD) identification criteria and procedures utilized in empirical research including students with LD published from 2001 to 2013 in three journals dedicated to the study of LD. Results reveal several troublesome findings related to transparency in reporting and the coherence of the LD construct.…

The authors encourage those in the field of school psychology to consider the use of learning disabilities assessment practices in relation to specific American Psychological Association and National Association of School Psychologists ethical codes and in regard to the American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association,…

Intervention research is vital for social work, as it aims to develop practice/program approaches and provide evidence to understand which interventions are effective and for whom. Despite growing attention, little social work research exists that evaluates interventions. Among the reasons for the dearth of intervention research within social work…

Because of the Flynn effect, IQ scores rise as a test norm ages but drop on the introduction of a newly revised test norm. The purpose of the current study was to determine the impact of the Flynn effect on learning disability (LD) diagnoses, the most prevalent special education diagnosis in the United States. Using a longitudinal sample of 875…

The dominant approach to research in learning disabilities utilizes experimental and quasi-experimental designs to identify the most effective instructional strategies for students with learning disabilities. Research is always undertaken from a point of view, yet the discourse on "what works?" is generally silent on how theoretical frameworks…

Research on the peer relationship problems of learning disabled (LD) children is summarized, highlighting methodological shortcomings and drawing implications for social intervention. Noted are tendencies of LD children to be frequently off task, to have more negative interactions with teachers and peers, and to be conversationally less assertive.…

Twenty-one studies that reported mean score differences between the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJTCA) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) Full Scale are summarized. The differences are found to be minimal and are attributed to data bias and WJTCA's higher correlation with achievement. (EGS)

This paper examines studies of the Minnesota Institute which were interpreted as demonstrating that students with learning disabilities are not distinguishable from other low-achieving students. Results of the reexamination indicate that learning disabilities and low achievement can be clearly differentiated, even in studies indicating that little…

The author asserts that each institute has made unique contributions to the understanding of learning disabilities, but that the work of the Minnesota Institute may be misinterpreted and misapplied. Unresolved issues include classification of children, relationship of LD to mental retardation, and collaborative research among institutes.…

The author contends that the current evidence for an attentional deficit explanation of learning disability must be evaluated cautiously. (Author/CL)

Replies to criticism of work at Minnesota Institute for learning disabilities. Suggests that the work (what is known) in LD reflects the state of practice (what is done). Suggests the LD population is not clearly defined, and research does not indicate that LD children require interventions unique to their category. (Author/CL)

The article presents an analysis of the 229 research reports which have appeared in two major learning disability journals since 1978. Among findings are that the vast majority of these studies are quasiexperimental in nature and control of extraneous variables (e.g., intelligence) was not appropriately demonstrated in many studies. (Author)

The article emphasizes the need for a uniform format for defining the populations selected for research, particularly with learning disabled individuals. The population descriptions from three studies dealing with some aspect of reading are presented and scrutinized in terms of the four categories. (Author/DLS)

In response to the issues raised by B. Feingold regarding the possible role of food additives as a cause of hyperactivity and learing disability, the Nutrition Foundation organized a critical review of Feinfold's claims by a group of behavioral and medical scientists. Among the cliams made by Feingold was that, when treated with the salicylate and…

The discussion of the history of learning disabilities, emphasizes the lack of a precise definition and the ambiguous nature of etiological duration, and incidence explanations. He asserts that the teacher-therapist must become the major focus of study and research. (CL)