Teachers can use microcomputers in informal assessment of learning disabled students' academic achievement, math and science progress, reading comprehension, cognitive processes, motivation and social interaction. Selected software for unobtrusive, informal assessment is listed. (CL)

Concludes that poor readers' comprehension of stories was improved by instruction that focused on causal structure, but that a few learners still struggling with basic decoding were too preoccupied to attend to story structure. (FL)

The self-perceptions of students were compared to parallel ratings by their teachers for four groups of subjects: 69 nondisabled, 18 learning-disabled-resource room, 25 learning-disabled-resource room, and 33 learning-disabled special class students. Results varied according to which teacher and students, which setting, and which aspect of self…

Reviews ERIC documents on communication skills, written by people in fields other than speech communication. (PD)

Discusses the philosophy behind LOGO and presents several examples of how it has been adapted for use with physically and mentally handicapped and learning disabled children to promote academic and social development through computer programing. (MBR)

This article presents information to help the teacher recognize and teach children with special learning needs. Suggestions for diagnosis, classroom strategies, and ideas for home use are offered. Resources for teacher use follow the article. (DF)

The concurrent validity of the Diagnostic Analysis of Reading Errors (DARE) subtests was studied, based on the responses of Lebanese secondary and postsecondary students relative to their achievement in an English course or on a standardized test of English proficiency. The results indicate that the DARE is not a viable predictor of English…

An article on applications of personal computers for the learning disabled presents the rationale and components of a special education systems approach. A model for organizing information is followed by a review of personal computers as instructional management tools. Examples are cited of computer assisted individualized education program…

The article analyzes computer software for learning disabled students in the areas of language arts, math, social studies, science, and miscellaneous skills (such as reasoning and problem solving). Software is evaluated in terms of general aspects (including reading and interest level methodology, curricular considerations, and student-computer…

Specific aptitude clusters from the Woodcock-Johnson Psycho-Educational Battery (WJPEB) are examined to determine their effectiveness in evaluating aptitude-achievement discrepancies. Advantages of the Scholastic Aptitude clusters over the Broad Cognitive Ability clusters are outlined. Major types of discrepancies, rationale, and research on the…

Examines the perceptions of the usefulness of the Individualized Education Program (IEP) by teachers (N=150) of emotionally disturbed and learning disabled children. The majority of respondents indicated that although the IEP does have some utility, it does not usually assist them in planning day-to-day instruction. (BH)

Describes the strategies used by a technical writing teacher who encouraged a dyslexic university engineering student to use a microcomputer as an aid in composition writing, and discusses how a word processing program was used to make the writing process easier and increase the student's self-confidence. (MBR)

Discusses uses of tape recorder as an accommodative technique for mainstreamed learning disabled students in content-area classes to address some problems encountered by regular classroom teachers. Four major types of use discussed are taping lectures, textbooks and other reading assignments, and paraphrased material, and preparing lecture…

This case history of the Colorado Study of Learning Disabilities illustrates a variety of functions an evaluation study may serve for policy shapers at the state level. The impact of the initial evaluation is followed over two years, focusing on its use by influential participants in Colorado's special education policy-shaping community. (BW)

Examined the effect of the presence of torque (clockwise circlings with either hand on a visual-motor task) on academic achievement variables among normal, disturbed, and learning-disabled children (N=948). Results indicated no clear relationship between torque and the various academic variables. (LLL)