Early language developmental delay within high-risk and handicapped populations is explored, focusing on: basic guidelines and emerging directions in screening, diagnosis, and ongoing evaluation of infants, toddlers, and their families; early intervention activities in neonatal intensive care nurseries and in community settings; and future…

Vision of 116 students, ages 6-19, with Down syndrome in the Brisbane (Australia) area was screened. Non-cycloplegic retinoscopy successfully assessed all the students for refractive error. Of the 99 children in special schools, about half did not show significant refractive error but 30 percent were farsighted, 14 percent nearsighted, and 21…

Describes a program to screen out job applicants who lack the basic math skills needed to work in an aircraft manufacturing plant. Also describes the inplant program for employees. (JOW)

Enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assays to detect chlamydial cervicitis were performed on samples from 1,320 sexually active university women. Seventy-five had positive tests. Demographic, history, symptom, and physical examination variables were insufficient to predict infection accurately. Concludes that screening during routine visits with this…

Childhood voice disorders require aggressive management that includes early identification, prevention, and treatment. This aggressive approach calls for re-examining incidence trends and norms; developing a better understanding of laryngologists' expectations; and developing programs for mass voice screening, prevention, and public and…

The prereading and reading performance of 370 predominantly Hispanic, bilingual school children was followed for 6 years. A 5-test Screening Index misclassified many failing readers but accurately identified children who eventually read well. Predictor tests administered at beginning of first grade showed significant correlations with reading at…

Basic steps in organizing and implementing Fun and Fitness Day are outlined. This event, jointly planned by local schools and Triton College, provided 1800 elementary students with health-related fitness testing and a day of fun and competition. (IAH)

Comparison of language test performance of 26 learning disabled and 26 non-learning disabled Black elementary-aged children is discussed in terms of (1) relative performance of the two groups, (2) the most useful assessment measures for this population, and (3) effects of socioeconomic factors on language test performance. (Author/DB)

Examined the predictive validity of the Gesell School Readiness Tests by correlating measured developmental age and performance in 151 first-grade students. Results show a positive relationship between developmental age and report card grades, modest predictive validity for standardized tests, and low validity for teacher judgment of first-grade…

The Denver Developmental Screening Test (DDST) and an expressive language measure were administered to 114 children (aged 24 to 74 months) suspected of developmental difficulties. The DDST did not identify the majority of children who failed the expressive language screening, even after cutoff scores were made more rigorous. (Author/JDD)

A demonstration project of child search and screening activities analyzed referral rates and patterns for young gifted children in Louisiana and evaluated a modified case study approach for screening referrals. However, the demographic data for the referred group of 96 children did not match local demographic patterns. Blacks and rural children…

Using cognitive test data to simulate employment selection tests, data from 1,427 Northern Ireland students showed better science curriculum offerings in Protestant schools and differences in science provision for boys and girls. Poor science instruction adversely affects the range of career choices, especially for Catholic girls. (SK)

The concurrent validity of 2 brief intelligence tests, the Matrix Analogies Test-Short Form (MAT) and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III) using a sample of 50 urban students. The MAT and K-BIT appeared equally useful as screening tests. (SLD)

The City University of New York's Lehman College requires entering transfer students to demonstrate writing proficiency for appropriate placement. Academic advising is used to help students understand the need for this assessment. The relatively complex system has been found to save students' time, promote academic achievement, and improve…

Analysis of the Bracken Basic Concept Scale (BBCS) indicated that all subtests except two (Quantity and Time) showed statistically significant correlations between item difficulty and frequency of concept words. Administration of the BBCS to 36 first graders revealed that most concept words showed expected item discrimination indices. (Author/JDD)