Recent efforts of parents, education experts, and Congress to expand the definition of handicapped children (under the Education for All Handicapped Children Act) to include attention deficit disorder victims failed when the National Association for the Advancement for Colored People intervened on behalf of Black children, already…

Three reading comprehension strategies are presented to assist learning-disabled students: an advance organizer technique called "TELLS Fact or Fiction" used before reading a passage, a schema-based technique called "Story Mapping" used while reading, and a postreading method of categorizing questions called…

When children with learning disabilities fail to learn effective reading strategies, they lose enthusiasm and develop negative self-perceptions and attitudes, jeopardizing future achievement. In response, instructional approaches emphasizing clear explanation of reading strategies and discussion of processes for constructing meaning have been…

Results are presented from a study which documents the effectiveness of social-skills training followed by cross-age tutoring for improving both achievement and social communication behaviors among boys (N=20), grades four-six, with learning disabilities. (IAH)

Examined factor structure of Conners Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS) in medically referred brain-damaged and learning-disabled children and adolescents. Extracted six factors: Conduct Disorder, Hyperkinesis, Distractibility, Depression, Dyssocial Behavior, and Introversion. Results support use of CTRS as brief objective instrument for assessing child…

The study of differences between 12 subjects with learning disabilities and 12 without, across 3 grade levels (intermediate, junior high, and senior high) and 2 story grammar tasks, found no developmental differences between disabled and nondisabled groups but did find significant differences in the amount and type of information recalled. (DB)

A study of 20 learning-disabled former students with intelligence quotients between 70 and 84 was conducted to examine how they fared during the transitional year after leaving high school. Most expressed serious concerns for the future as they drifted between jobs and educational programs. (Author/JDD)

Teachers of gifted children read a descriptive vignette of a hypothetical gifted student and rated their willingness to refer the student for gifted program placement. Results showed that the 197 teachers were influenced by the presence of the educational label "learning disabled" and by the social class of the student. (Author/JDD)

The oral foundations of narrative knowledge are examined as a linkage to literacy acquisition problems. Examined are kinds of narrative knowledge acquired, the nature of story organization, and developmental acquisitions in story recall and generation. The performance patterns of language learning-disabled children on oral story recall and…

Writing samples of 295 primary school children improved in productivity, syntax, and level of abstraction from grade one through three. The writing of learning-disabled children who were matched with average reading ability primary-school children indicated no significant differences in productivity, but problems in syntax (especially morphology),…

Thirty learning-disabled students in grades five-eight read several passages and attempted to identify and remember main ideas. Students were assigned to one to three conditions: control, monitoring and self-questioning, or mnemonic. The monitoring strategy was most effective for main-idea finding, whereas the mnemonic strategy was most effective…

The case of one language-minority child identified as mildly learning disabled is used to illustrate the concept of special education placement and instruction of language-minority children outlined in California's Optimal Learning Environment curriculum guide. A synopsis of the curriculum guide is included. (Author/MSE)

Seventeen bilingual speech and language pathologists submitted assessment reports on 51 limited-English-proficiency students and 44 Anglo students with suspected language disorders. Analysis indicated that a heavy diagnostic emphasis continues to be placed on results of discrete-point tests. A protocol to assess limited-English-speaking students…

This paper offers a critical examination of common misconceptions concerning college students with learning disabilities (LD), including, among others: LD college students are older versions of high school LD students, college entrance data can accurately predict LD student success, and LD students disclose their handicaps to institutions of…

The study examined student records to evaluate the mathematical performance of 220 children from 8 through 17 years of age diagnosed as having learning disabilities. Developmental patterns were identified and implications for instruction including specially designed instruction stressing problem solving were drawn. (Author/DB)