In this article, Anne-Marie Wright, lecturer at the University of Chester, considers the current situation for students with severe learning difficulties in general colleges of further education. She presents findings from a critical review of the literature and a small-scale preliminary investigation which set out to explore the idea that,…

Jane Schoenfeld's eighteen-year-old daughter and five of her daughter's friends have major learning differences. After searching fruitlessly for a summer class in independent living skills, Shoenfeld relates how she and the parents of her daughter's friends decided to set up their own summer program. They found a facilitator and invited two…

Central coherence theory hypothesizes individuals with autism process information in a detail-focused fashion. The present study examined whether adolescents with an intellectual disability and comorbid autism spectrum disorder showed a weaker central coherence than age- and IQ-matched controls. The central coherence skills of 43 adolescents from…

How individual differences in cognitive ability influence acquisition and transfer of strategic comparison skills was examined as a function of learning difficulty. Using a cognitive test battery, we classified forty-nine participants into three cognitive ability groups. Participants in each group were trained to compare similar (difficult…

In most cases therapy is addressed as an indoor verbal activity in which the relationship between therapist and client stands at its centre. This article proposes a different approach to therapy: conducting it creatively in nature, with the environment being used not only as a therapeutic setting but also as a medium and a partner in the process.…

Significant relations among language impairments, academic difficulties, and behavioral problems have been well established in previous research, primarily with impaired children or non-minority samples. However, how and why these three developmental domains tend to co-vary has received only limited attention. Preliminary research suggests that…

Our recent project has a comparative perspective: it compares selected good practices of integration of ethnic minority children among three European countries (Italy, Switzerland and Hungary). The project examines several key areas of integration: governmental policies, NGO practices and most importantly good practices that might be transferable,…

The relationship between pesticides in food and the occurrence of attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in school age children is considered. Pesticides include chlorinated hydrocarbons and organic phosphates that are commonly present in fruits and vegetables, which are a large part of the diet of…

This digest describes ways in which professionals who work with culturally and linguistically diverse students with disabilities can create an educational climate that accepts and respects the language and culture of its students and empowers them to feel confident enough to risk getting involved in the learning process. Methods of creating such…

A survey sent to parents of 1,189 students in grades 1 through 8 in three school districts explored the connection between family history of diabetes mellitus and learning or behavior problems. A yield of 816 returns gave results such as the following: of 418 returns for males, 233 students had a diabetic background (BG); of 398 returns for…

To better understand the nature of problems in math learning, a case study was conducted of the specific strengths and weaknesses of a child with a severe math-learning disability. The subject, Adam, was nearly 11 years old when interviews began and had been officially classified as learning disabled due to organic brain dysfunction. A…

Discusses concerns about the conceptualization of the problems and potential benefits related to the bicultural learning situation. Presents ideas for helping to build a conceptual framework to tackle the questions posed. [Available from CAE, 1703 New Hampshire Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009]. (Author/AM)

A study sought to compare the performance of elementary school students referred for learning difficulties on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) and to examine similarities and differences in performance on the two instruments between those placed in…

A survey was developed asking educators to describe their most effective strategies for teaching marginal learners--students who do not succeed academically in the regular classroom. A total of 97 surveys were returned, and the recommended strategies were compiled. The paper begins by describing marginal learners. This is followed by seven…

Testimony presented at a congressional hearing on illiteracy (March 1986) indicated that good readers use their myelinated corpus callosum fibers (which connect the left and right hemispheres of the brain) at millisecond speeds to coordinate the two brain hemispheres. Students taught using the whole-word recognition method (also called the…