Offers an instructional model for teaching several metacognitive strategies which have been shown to improve reading comprehension in students with learning and reading disabilities. Techniques cover summarizing expository text, comprehending story structure, self-questioning, and text lookbacks and question-answer relationships. (DB)

Discusses the difficulties many students with learning and attention-related disabilities have in dealing with classroom transitions. Short case studies are provided to show how behavior problems escalate when effective teaching methods are not utilized to ease transitions, and several transition techniques are suggested. (Author/CR)

This study compared the effect of productivity (a correlate of suffix frequency) on derivational suffix use in 69 elementary and middle school students' derivational suffix use. Twenty-three students had language-learning disabilities (LLD). Students with and without LLD used highly productive suffixes but LLD students were less accurate in…

A study of 15 high school students with learning disabilities and 257 typical students found no grading adaptation was viewed as fair by a majority of students without disabilities. Changing the grading scale and raising grades to reflect improvement were viewed as fair adaptations by the students with disabilities. (CR)

This multiple baseline study investigated the effectiveness of direct instruction of an advanced story-map procedure on the reading comprehension performance of six middle school students with learning disabilities (LD). Results indicated an increase in story grammar and basal comprehension performance generalization to a novel passage, and…

This study examined the response of intermediate-grade boys (N=18) and girls (N=20) with (N=20) or without (N=18) learning disabilities (LD) to experimental dyadic interactions, either friendly or unfriendly. Children with LD were hypersensitive to both situations and girls with LD appeared most negatively affected by the unfriendly interaction.…

Forty-four fourth- and fifth-grade boys with and without learning disabilities (LD) completed a semi-structured interview measure of interpersonal understanding. They were also rated by their teachers on social adaptation in the classroom. Interpersonal understanding and social adaptation were positively correlated, and children with LD exhibited…

Discusses students classified as learning disabled in regard to foreign language requirements, since institutions are now obligated by the Americans with Disabilities Act to teach these students. Criteria on which these students are classified as learning disabled for foreign language study and granted waivers of course substitution to fulfill the…

Law schools should avoid diluting writing standards. Writing skills and law skills are nonnegotiable, and DWE students not "otherwise qualified" under Americans with Disabilities Act. Comparable case is that of Casey Martin, professional golfer; federal magistrate judge allowed Martin to ride in cart in PGA tournaments. Contends that ADA…

Used a retrospective chart review to investigate psychological and academic impairments in college students not previously diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), comparing them with a control group. Results indicated that students with ADHD had significantly lower mean grade point average, more academic problems, and more…

Presents a model that uses a continuum of attentional skills to clarify the process for diagnosing ADHD. Issues related to differential determination of attentional problems that may be attributed to learning disabilities, allergies, and childhood depression are explored. Specific guidelines are provided for teachers. (Author/EMK)

Documented similarities and differences in the domain-specific and global self-evaluations of 235 normally achieving, 118 learning disabled, and 70 behaviorally disordered adolescents. Factor analysis revealed eight discrete self-concept domains for each group. Discusses similarities and differences and within-group processes. Contains 46…

Presents evidence to show variability across states in the use of the severe-emotional-disturbance designation for students and the frequency of comorbid and trimorbid cases being classified as learning disabled. Findings are presented from ongoing projects to illustrate differential profiles for comorbid children. (Author/CR)

Parents whose learning-disabled son committed suicide after being suspended (without notice) sued the school district for violating the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and their 14th Amendment due-process rights. They won summary judgment on the IDEA claim, but lost the school liability claim. The case will be retried. (MLH)

Examines the content and instructional plans for phonics and word recognition to be used with children with reading disabilities. Information is provided about the content of effective word-recognition instruction. Guidelines are included on other aspects of reading instruction that are central to accessible classroom programs. (Author/CR)