Reviews the historical basis and rationale for identifying children as learning disabled due to a discrepancy between scores on measures of intelligence and achievement. Discusses the validity of such classifications and the role of IQ testing in the designation of children as learning disabled for research and public policy. Alternative…

Describes the development of the Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire (CSBQ), an instrument designed to provide an extensive list of behaviors frequently observed in children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. The successful results of the CSBQ in distinguishing the characteristics of this disability are reported.…

A study involving 103 children (ages 5-17) examined the clinical utility of the ADHD Symptom Checklist-4 (ADHD-SC4), a screening measure for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Findings support the internal consistency and validity of the ADHD-SC4 as a screening instrument for ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, and aggressive…

This article considers the extent to which Child Find procedures discussed in the literature are responsive to families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Discussion of the legal basis for Child Find activities targeting these young children and challenges in early identification of children from diverse backgrounds is…

This study examined nonword repetition performance in 581 second graders participating in a longitudinal investigation of specific language impairment. Results indicated that children with language impairments, as well as those in intervention, exhibited deficient nonword repetition skills and that the Nonword Repetition Task is a culturally…

Four independent samples of children were used to study the reliability and validity of the Writing Essential Skill Screener, a measure designed to screen primary grade children at risk for writing difficulties. Among findings was that the measure is comprised of two dimensions, writing and name writing, that the factor structure did not fit the…

This article describes the development and psychometric properties of an inventory to assess cognitive appraisal of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability application process, the Disability Application Appraisal Inventory (DAAI). Participants were 439 veterans seeking disability status for posttraumatic stress disorder through the VA…

This article addresses ways in which speech-language pathologists can play a proactive and substantive part in schoolwide reading disability prevention and intervention efforts within the responsiveness to intervention framework. First, the driving forces that led Congress to alter how schools may operationalize learning disabilities are…

This article reviews the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Forth Edition-Text Revision" and compares and contrasts the diagnostic criteria for individuals with autism with the educational requirements under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Problems with using a dual classification system are…

The interrelationship between the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic (ADOS-G) and clinical classification was studied in 184 children and adolescents with Mental Retardation (MR). The agreement between the ADI-R and ADOS-G was fair, with a substantial difference between younger and older…

Rich with clinical insights, this volume reviews the state of the science of identifying and treating autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in very young children. Leading authorities examine critical research issues and present innovative approaches to assessing social, cognitive, adaptive, communication, and sensory-motor impairments in the first two…

Although the 2004 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (P.L. 108-446) (IDEA 2004) has brought the issue of specific learning disabilities (SLD) identification procedures and criteria to the forefront, calls for reform are not new and are based on decades of various policy, implementation, and research agendas. The…

In this article, the author shares some insights on the characteristics of a person with Asperger's syndrome, a condition on the higher-functioning end of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Born in 1955, the author was raised in rural South Auckland. As a baby, she propelled herself around the floor on her stomach, using her limbs as flippers,…

This classification system is intended to offer a conceptual framework for information; the framework is relevant to the long-term consequences of disease, injuries or disorders, and applicable both to personal health care, including early identification and prevention, and to the mitigation of environmental and societal barriers. It begins with…

This bibliography, intended for families, lists 65 resources on assessing children for the presence of a disability. Resources are intended to ensure that all members of the Individualized Education Program team, including parents, have an appropriate base of information. Resources were published from 1983 through 1994 and are grouped into the…