The "Ages and Stages Questionnaires," a parent-completed developmental monitoring system, is described, and various strategies for using the system to identify young children with developmental delays are compared. Strategies include mail-out, home visit, on-site (completed by either parent with assistance from service provider),…

This article analyzes implementation of the "Code of Practice on the Identification and Assessment of Special Educational Needs" by special schools in England and Wales. A survey of schools, including 73 special schools, concluded that the Code's potential universality is being lost through an overemphasis on implementation of procedural…

The Mobile Van Evaluation and Screening (MoVES) program was established in 1994 by Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.) to provide developmental screening and evaluation services to children receiving primary medical care from the Georgetown University Pediatric Mobile Clinic. This article describes the developmental services offered by the…

This article considers effects of a mismatch between the cognitive styles of children from minority cultural groups and cognitive styles promoted in schools, leading to inappropriate interaction, assessment, instruction, or discipline. It suggests such students may be inappropriately identified as having a learning disability or emotional and/or…

This article describes the two basic versions of the responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) approach for identifying learning disabilities, the problem solving model and the standard-protocol approach. It reviews evidence on effectiveness and feasibility and concludes that more needs to be understood before RTI may be viewed as a valid…

A pilot test of 700 students in grades three, four, and five, investigated the reliability of curriculum-valid mathematics survey tests. The development of the test and the taxonomy of curriculum analysis that was beneficial in test construction is described. Results indicate the effectiveness of the test. (CR)

Reviews current research on brain-behavior relationships in disabilities of arithmetic and mathematical reasoning from both a neurological and a neuropsychological perspective. Defines developmental dyscalculia and the developmental importance of right versus left hemisphere integrity for the mediation of arithmetic learning and explores…

This article is designed to help professionals and parents learn and grow as they work together for the children in their charge. It discusses the levels of awareness parents have about the disability of their child. These include the ostrich phase, special designation of the disability, normalization, and self-actualization. (Contains…

This article discusses what is meant by minimal hearing loss (MHL), summarizes issues associated with MHL, and describes instructional modifications for children with MHL. Environmental modifications and signal-to-noise enhancing technology are addressed, as well as challenges to identifying and helping children with MHL and symptoms of MHL.…

The Passage Comprehension portion of the Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests-Revised/NU was administered to 63 adolescents. Protocols were rescored using the following ceiling criteria: five consecutive errors, five errors in six consecutive responses, and five errors in seven consecutive responses. A strong relationship was determined among scores…

This article discusses using cross-language transfer as a diagnostic tool for identifying reading difficulties of language learners. It is argued that if children have enough exposure to and instruction in their first language, their skills and insights can be assessed and compared to skills and insights in their second language. (Contains…

This article takes a critical look at methods used to identify learning disability (such as use of ability/achievement discrepancy formulas and medical/neurobiological diagnosis) and presents an alternative method that adds assessment of the psychological processes of memory and learning to current practices of assessing intelligence and…

A survey of 52 directors of adult basic education (ABE) programs assessed the prevalence of students with learning disabilities (LD) in their programs; definitions of LD currently in use; diagnosis of LD among ABE students and extent and type of training for instructors about LD. Results are summarized and recommendations made for service…

The Child Behavior Checklist and related forms were completed for 171 boys referred for school-based assessment resulting from academic and/or behavioral problems. Adolescents consistently underreported behavioral problems relative to parents and teachers regardless of subsequent diagnosis. Implications of these discrepancies in school-based…

Native Hawaiian preschoolers (n=172) received a battery of tests that included pure-tone audiometry, tympanometry, acoustic reflectometry, and pneumatic otoscopy. Approximately 15% of children failed a majority of the tests. Results are discussed in comparison to other indigenous groups at risk for middle ear disorders and hearing loss.…