This paper outlines practical information on children with attention deficit disorder (ADD). Guidelines for identifying ADD are presented, followed by a summary of what parents and students can expect from special education and related services in public schools. Pros and cons of medication are noted, and recommendations for managing the child's…

Outlines briefly the historical development of the field of learning disabilities, describes its present status with a discussion of some of the major issues and controversies, and indicates some emerging trends and future directions. (Author/RK)

Seven techniques for measuring information processing in infants are proposed to aid in the early identification of mental retardation. The techniques are based on conditioning, attentional, and manual exploration paradigms and could be combined into an assessment battery more valid than current infant IQ tests in predicting later disability.…

Six issues relating to assessment of gifted/learning disabled (GLD) students are discussed: (1) incidence; (2) cut-off IQ scores; (3) barriers to identification; (4) use of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children--Revised; (5) differentiation between GLD and underachieving gifted; (6) qualitative differences between GLD, gifted, and learning…

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)

After discussing the effects of sex bias on disabled children, this article examines four areas of special education in which sex bias and stereotyping have been identified. Some approaches which are being used to improve sex equity are described. (MT)

Following its administration to 215 students (117 classified as regular and 98 as learning disabled), the Junior-Senior High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ) was reported to be useful as a differentiating diagnostic instrument, and was recommended as a screening device and as a measure of continuing progress. (JW)

The Interactive Diagnostic Model, intended to facilitate disability interaction between teacher and clinician on behalf of the young language handicapped child, is described. Four levels of interaction are discussed: identification, diagnosis, management, and follow-up. (JW)

To reconstruct school lives of 93 children who had been removed from regular classrooms because of behavior problems, data were compiled, 14 students were selected for in-depth case studies, and 21 interviews were conducted. Anayses touched on issues of school intervention, policy, effects on family, and legal rights. (CL)

This paper summarizes findings from studies linking early reading problems and spoken language deficiencies and reviews the results of two longitudinal studies which show that inferior performance in kindergarten tests of language skills may presage future reading problems in the first grade. Procedures are suggested for kindergarten screening and…

The author discusses the complex nature of assessing bilingual special education students, recommends a textbook on the topic, notes the contributions of J. Mercer's System of Multicultural Pluralistic Assessment, and cites the need for special educators to focus on the issue. (CL)

The brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) was evaluated as a hearing screening test in 168 high-risk newborns. The BAEP was found to be a sensitive procedure for the early identification of hearing-impaired newborns. However, the yield of significant hearing abnormalities was less than predicted in other studies using BAEP. (Author/CL)

Provided with information on 41 test or subtest scores of 9 school-identified learning disabled (LD) and 9 non-LD students, 65 school psychologists, 38 special education teachers, and 21 university students found that accuracy and interjudge agreement were difficult in discriminating between LD and non-LD students. (Authors)

The lack of a firm definition of emotional disturbance, accompanied by a dearth of valid identification methods and absence of effective programing are cited as major problems. The authors emphasize the importance of basic skills instruction, behavior management leading to self-control, and reeducation of the student's total environment. (CL)

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)