Two key concepts in diagnosing learning disabilities ("severe discrepancy" and "process dysfunction") are reviewed, and their relationship to the habilitation of learning is discussed. Guidelines are given for calculating a severe discrepancy, and the evaluation of processing skills is discussed. Strength models of remediation…

Seven secondary teachers of 57 students with learning disabilities used a videodisc program to teach fractions. Teacher and student reactions were very positive, almost two-thirds of the students reached or exceeded criterion performance, and teaching styles of participating teachers subsequently became more interactive. (JDD)

Twenty reading-disabled, 10 math-disabled, and 25 control-group college students were assessed on a battery of psychophysical tasks that included 5 tests of temporal processing. Findings suggest that poor temporal processing is neither a necessary nor a sufficient cause of reading disability but that there is a modest association between the two…

This review highlights the physical, intellectual, academic, behavioral, and communication characteristics associated with fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of mental retardation. Educationally relevant problems linked to fragile X are noted, including learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, speech and language…

A total of 951 school psychologists responded to a survey about language learning disabilities and speech/language referral practices. Findings suggest limited training about speech and language disorders and a need to develop greater awareness of appropriate assessment measures among school psychologists. (SLD)

Describes a research project in which elementary students with learning disabilities participate in both individual and cooperative computer-enhanced writing sessions, using three types of topics: free choice, literature based, and fantasy based. Finds the computer-enhanced whole-language writing sessions more instructionally effective than the…

This paper comments on EC 603 157, which discusses cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction on mathematical problem solving of middle school students with learning disabilities. The commentary analyzes the separability of cognition and metacognition and raises questions about the identifiable components that contribute to the effectiveness…

Gifted, average, and learning-disabled children (total n=660) in grades four and seven were assessed on measures of achievement, ability, perceived competence in cognitive ability, self-concept, and locus of control over a two-year period. In general, perceived competence and self-concept were higher for gifted students and were stable for all…

Sixteen students with learning disabilities in junior high special education classrooms were given instruction in science, with levels of teacher enthusiasm manipulated. Results suggest that more enthusiastic presentations resulted in significantly higher academic achievement and lower levels of off-task behavior. (Author/JDD)

Interactive dialogues between teacher and student or between student and student were used to teach revision skills to 18 adolescents with learning disabilities or English as a Second language. Both intervention conditions were equally effective in promoting clarity and thematic salience in trainees' reportive essays. (Author/JDD)

The article describes attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and how it affects learning, notes why whole language provides one of the best settings for students with ADHD, and discusses strategies for adapting the whole-language classroom to meet the needs of many different kinds of learners. (SM)

Review of 48 studies concerning interventions designed to impact the reading comprehension of students with learning disabilities suggests that strong effect sizes are more likely when researchers compare experimental treatment to nontreatment, deliver treatment themselves rather than have classroom teachers deliver it, and assess treatment…

Perceptions of mainstreamed students with learning disabilities (n=60) regarding adaptations (e.g., altering tests, homework, assignments, instruction) made by general education teachers were compared with perceptions of low achieving (n=59) and average/high achieving (n=60) students. Differences were found in relation to elementary versus…

Fifty-six children with speech-language impairments were identified in kindergarten and followed in first and second grades. Subjects' performance on standardized measures of language ability in kindergarten was closely related to reading outcome, especially reading comprehension. Measures of phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming…

Discussion of practicing academic skills focuses on a program at the Ben Bronz Academy (Connecticut) for learning-disabled students that uses Precision Teaching and fluency practice via computers. Highlights include fluency and academic performance; knowledge of progress, including charts of student progress; and suggestions for further research.…