The Student Descriptor Scale (SDS) was developed as a validation measure to determine whether students described and counted by states as "severely handicapped" were, indeed, students with severe disabilities. The SDS addresses nine characteristics: intellectual disability, health impairment, need for toileting assistance, upper torso motor…

This book addresses African American identity and communication and articulates how African Americans define themselves and membership in their group as well as how they percent intra- and inter-ethnic communication. Communication is viewed as a socially constructed process that revolves around membership in ethnic cultures. They explicate core…

This presentation addresses ways to meet the needs of African-American gifted students and offers suggestions for inclusive classroom interventions that are liberating for students who exist simultaneously in African American culture, American mainstream culture, and as gifted and talented learners. The identification of these learners must begin…

This paper examines the identification of children with learning disabilities who are at risk for problems in the social domain. Based on sociometric measures, teacher rating scales, and measures administered to the children, it is found that children with learning disabilities may have problems related to rejection or related to neglect, and that…

This follow-up study of black graduates of A Better Chance (ABC) concludes that race is a more important factor than class in the personal and social identity of blacks. ABC was an innovative program launched in 1963 by 16 independent secondary schools to recruit and prepare minority group students for entry into exclusive boarding schools, elite…

The booklet, intended to acquaint students or visitors with the herb garden at the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center (Rockville, Maryland), describes 25 herbs and suggests ways to extend learning further by providing historic background and other information about the herbs. Each herb is described on a separate page, with each…

Six studies in laboratory and classroom settings investigated the diagnostic and remedial performance of 66 reading and learning disabled specialists and classroom teachers. Ss were asked to diagnose simulated cases of either reading or learning disability and suggest an initial remediation plan. Two related findings were revealed across all…

The packet describes procedures for identifying Hispanic elementary students with high academic potential and presents an instructional guide for programing. Guidelines are presented for conducting a needs assessment on the extent of ethnic imbalance in current gifted programs, encouraging referrals from all staff, and describing the search of all…

Bulimia, an eating disorder characterized by binge eating, may be increasing in frequency. In order to examine and assess: (1) the prevalence of bulimia in a non-clinical sample of college women; (2) the relationship of reports of binge eating to the fulfillment of operationalized Diagnostic and Statistical Manual III (DSM III) criteria for…

Alcoholism has repeatedly been implicated in many significant social and health problems, yet little is known concerning etiology before age 12. As part of a longitudinal project to investigate alcoholism etiology in preschool children, a study was undertaken which compared families with male preschool children who are statistically at high risk…

The second volume of a two-part resource guide for teachers of emotionally disabled students, this guide provides articles and informational items on aspects of serving this student population. The first section examines legal issues involved in conducting staffings, writing individualized education program objectives and understanding…

The paper reviews the literature on assessment of gifted minority students, focusing first on the importance of appropriate assessment methods, and then on research on specific approaches used to identify gifted Black, Hispanic (mainly Mexican-American), Asian/Pacific, and American Indian students. A discussion section cites five common elements…

Three separate bibliographies list journal articles, books, manuals, curriculum guides, and other publications regarding early childhood special education. The first bibliography presents 90 references on curriculum and curriculum development in early childhood special education, including coverage of curricula for high-risk and handicapped…

Computerized adaptive tests (CATs) make it possible to estimate the ability of each student during the testing process. The computer presents items to students at the appropriate level, and students take different versions of the same test. Computerized testing increases the flexibility of test management in that: (1) tests are given on demand and…

The paper identifies characteristics of gifted and talented children. A matrix is presented listing gifted/talented student characteristics crossed with possible information sources for determining giftedness (i.e., test data, performance data, and developmental data). Appendix pages then provide details of various tests that are available to aid…