This investigation explored the relationship between short-term memory (STM), working memory (WM), and reading proficiency among adolescents (n=30) with learning disabilities. Results suggest that reading models which focus on STM or WM in isolation do not adequately capture the reading performance of the students. Models that coordinate STM and…

This introductory article on adults with learning disabilities considers historical antecedents, the role of public policy (the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act), the movement within the field of learning disabilities emphasizing transition to adulthood, and the continuance of public policy…

Studied the effects of peer tutoring in higher education on 8 Israeli students with visual impairments and 44 college students with learning disabilities. Findings for indicate both academic and social benefits for tutees and tutors. Explores differences between the two populations. (SLD)

Describes successful prevention/intervention program in literacy for 34 struggling fourth- and fifth-grade readers in the El Rancho (California) Unified School District who were about to be referred to special-education assessment for suspected learning disabilities. As a result of the literacy intervention program, only two of the students…

The poor achievement of secondary students with learning disabilities in mathematics is often affected by prior low achievement, low expectations for success, and inadequate instruction. Good instruction involves careful selection of examples; explicit instructional design; a parsimonious use of time and resources; and techniques such as direct…

Parents (N=100) of children (ages 9 to 13) with or without learning disabilities (LD) responded to a retrospective developmental survey. Parents reported that the children with LD had significantly more neurodevelopmental problems or delays across domains (e.g., language, motor, attention, social behavior) than normal achievers. A pattern of…

Begins by using the traditional psycholinguistic view of comprehension as a framework to compare the processes involved in listening and reading comprehension. Two other views of comprehension are then discussed. Finally, ways in which these different views of comprehension affect approaches to assessment and treatment are reviewed. (Author/CR)

This literature review examines how full inclusion affects students' academic achievement and social behavior, and teachers' relationships with students in the general education classroom. Learning-disabled students fail to make satisfactory progress in an inclusive setting. Teachers support the inclusion concept, but acknowledge its inadequacy.…

A step-by-step plan is presented for teaching a mnemonic strategy that students with and without learning disabilities can use to improve word recognition skills. The SCUBA-D strategy involves (1) Sounding it out, (2) Checking sentence clues; (3) Using main idea and picture clues, (4) Breaking words into parts, (5) Asking for help, and (6) Diving…

In response to a paper on risk and resilience models in learning disabilities research, this article suggests two factors that render this framework appealing to special education researchers: its optimistic empowering nature as the trainability of identified resilience factors is assumed and its emphasis on factors external to the individual that…

Sixth- and seventh-grade students (n=68) with learning disabilities in mathematics received either concrete-to-representational-to-abstract (CRA) or traditional instruction in algebraic transformation equations. Students receiving the CRA instruction outperformed peers receiving traditional instruction on both post-instruction and follow-up tests…

Considers how the practice of including students with disabilities in general education classes has spawned interest in academic interventions, such as homework, that allow these students to be successful. Investigates the perceptions and experiences of parents of children with and without disabilities regarding homework load and problems related…

Describes a national survey in which parents of children with and without disabilities rank-ordered a number of strategies that schools, teachers, and parents could use to improve communication about and completion of students' homework. Finds that parents of children with and without disabilities were in substantial agreement about strategies for…

Sixteen adults with language/learning disabilities (L/LD) and 16 controls participated in a study testing sensitivity to word order cues that signaled grammatical versus ungrammatical word strings belonging to an artificial grammar. Participants with L/LD performed significantly below the comparison group, suggesting that this skill is problematic…

Basic knowledge of the characteristics of learning disabilities (LD), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and traumatic brain injury (TBI) can help adult educators recognize symptoms, make appropriate referrals, and individualize instruction and accommodations. (JOW)