The systematic expansion of evidence-based cognitive behavioral (CBT) protocols into the schools provides an opportunity for training front-line service providers in the early identification of anxious children and in the delivery of evidence-based treatments to children who might otherwise go without such treatment [Weist, M. D., & Evans, S. W.…

Currently, learning disabilities (LD) are diagnosed on the basis of the discrepancy between students' IQ and reading achievement scores. Students diagnosed with LD often receive remedial instruction in resource rooms. The available evidence suggests that the educational policy based on this discrepancy model has not yielded satisfactory results.…

Clinical interviews of approximately 5,587 adolescents revealed that DSM-IV diagnostic categories were found to be different in terms of the severity of alcohol use disorders (AUDs). However, a substantial inconsistency and overlap was found in severity of AUDs across categories. The need for an alternative diagnostic algorithm which considers all…

Background & Aims: We tested the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) hypothesis that so-called specific developmental disorders are marked by a pattern of specific discrepant achievement, and an alternative hypothesis that children with these disorders show a pattern of relatively pervasive low achievement. Methods…

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common disorder that is often identified when a child first enters school. About 2% of boys and girls in our population are diagnosed with the disorder (Kaufmann, 2000). Although ADHD is the most frequent reason that children are referred to a mental health professional, the diagnosis of ADHD…

Response to intervention (RTI) is an approach to instruction, assessment, and intervention that enables early identification of students who are experiencing academic or behavioral difficulties. The jurisdictions served by the Regional Educational Laboratory Northeast and Islands expressed interest in a study of whether and how state education…

Findings from "Learning to Achieve: A Review of the Research Literature on Serving Adults With Learning Disabilities" will inform a new professional development program to be offered to practitioners and others working with adults with learning disabilities (LD). The six topics covered in the review--assessment, English language learners,…

The disproportional representation of culturally, linguistically, and ethnically diverse and low-income students in special education and gifted and talented programs has been a persistent issue for many decades. It has been a long standing trend that the percentage of minority students constituting special education programs exceeds their…

Children adopted from abroad at older ages have unique speech and language-learning issues. At adoption, the impact of longer stays in orphanages with their associated lack of enrichment, nutrition, and healthcare is more pronounced. After adoption, the children begin school in a new language soon after arriving home. These children quickly lose…

Growing evidence suggests that, as a group, many internationally adopted children catch up to their peers in terms of their language development by the time they reach their school-age years. Although this appears to be particularly true for children adopted during the first few years of life, it is not true for all internationally adopted…

Later-born siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (Sibs-ASD) are at elevated risk for social impairments. Two putative predictors of later social impairment--measures of responding to joint attention and weighted triadic communication--were examined in a sample of 43 Sibs-ASD who were followed from 15 to 34 months of age. Results…

Objective: This study aims to evaluate ADHD-like symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on single-item analysis, as well as the comparison of two ASD subsamples of children with ADHD (ASD+) and without ADHD (ASD-). Methods: Participants are 83 children with ASD. Dimensional and categorical aspects of ADHD are evaluated…

The National Research Center on Learning Disabilities (NRCLD) was funded in late 2001 by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to help address the complex nature of the issues and diversity of discussion surrounding specific learning disabilities (SLD). NRCLD's purpose was to continue the research on critical issues raised in white…

Response-to-Intervention (RtI), a framework for improving academic and behavioral outcomes for all students, can be viewed as a current example of an educational change initiative. Given the difficulties that some schools may be experiencing when implementing RtI effectively, it is important to examine prior educational change conceptualizations…

Researchers and clinicians now recognize that adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) evince the full range of mental health concerns. Only recently, however, have attempts been made to develop evidence-based diagnostic and screening methods to identify these problems. Given that the way these people display symptoms of psychopathology may…