E. Burns' (1984) attempt to explain the below average mean IQ scores reported for samples of learning dsabled (LD) students through the use of the bivariate normal probability distribution was examined. Alternative explanations which focus on issues related to the referral, identification, and placement of children are presented.(Author)

Teachers of the learning disabled (N=150) reported that major identification criteria in recent learning disability (LD) placements were intraindividual variability, achievement-potential discrepancy, below grade level academic achievement, and exclusion of other handicapping conditions. Teachers serving only LD students reported more emphasis on…

Two groups (learning disabled and normal) of 15 children were administered the Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery-Children's Revision and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised. Considering abnormal or borderline profiles as indicative of learning disability was 93.3 percent accurate in discriminating between groups.…

African Americans account for approximately 12.4 percent of the United States population. They also account for approximately 79 percent of the players in the National Basketball Association. On average, African American and Hispanic students are found eligible for special education services at higher rates than their populations would suggest,…

Autism presents parents and families with many challenges under normal circumstances. Autism in a military family magnifies many of those challenges and adds a few more that are unique to the demands of military life and service, further complicating an already complex neurobiological disorder. Military sources indicate that more than 13,000…

This article identifies the visually handicapped population, discusses their special educational needs, and considers the educational program in terms of their assessment, placement, individualized education programs, and needs for educational aids. (CB)

The authors cite recent findings of minority overrepresentation in programs for the educable mentally handicapped, and examine the status in New Jersey of two federally regulated procedures to prevent bias, multidisciplinary team decision making, and adaptive behavior assessment. (Author/MC)

The author traces efforts to define and redefine learning disabilities (LD). The inclusion of children in LD classes who do not meet requirements of the definition is seen as a common yet dangerous practice. (CL)

A discriminant analysis of characteristics of students with behavioral disorders in three progressively more intensive placements indicated that age at time of diagnosis was the strongest discriminating variable contributing to placement outcomes. Younger, brighter students tended to be mainstreamed, and older students with more externalizing…

This article examines a 1995 treatment validity model as a framework for identifying learning disabilities. This model: (1) examines both student performance and responsiveness to instruction; (2) delays special education referral until the effects of individual student adaptations in the regular classroom have been explored; and (3) verifies that…

A sample of 54 risk students and 54 matched students were examined at three levels of decision making--identification, classification, and instruction. Temperament information had little or no utility with respect to administrative decisions concerning identification and classification. There were significant relationships between temperament…

The process of identification of hearing loss in preschool children, including infant screening techniques, audiological testing methods, and other tests used to determine the kind and degree of hearing loss, are discussed. Appropriate habilitation and educational placement is also discussed, including hearing aid selection and parent…

The trend to include mildly mentally retarded, emotionally disturbed (behavior disordered), and learning disabled children in the same generic category and in the same school programs is increasing. The author believes that the noncategorical trend in special education can endanger the appropriate education of many children. (Author)

The statistical consequences of giving a student more than one achievement test to diagnose learning disabilities (LD) are discussed. Ranking and selection tables are used to find (1) the proportion of LD students as a function of cut-off point and (2) the cut-off point as a function of the expected proportion of LD students. (Author/BW)

This guide for administrators addresses the problem of the frequent over-identification of African American students as disabled resulting in over-representation of this population in special education programs. The guide focuses on preventive strategies--specifically, how administrators may use the prereferral intervention process, school…