Reading difficulties and disabilities present serious and potentially lifelong challenges. Children who do not read well are more likely to be retained a grade in school, drop out of high school, become a teen parent, or enter the juvenile justice system. Building on the extant research and seminal studies, including the National Reading Panel and…

In developing the 2010 Strategic Plan for ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) Research, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) updated the previous Plan to highlight the most pressing research needs and opportunities for the field today. The Plan, which must be annually updated in accordance with the Combating Autism Act (CAA) of 2006,…

The main purpose of this study is to develop a Spanish language screening measure that (a) is valid and reliable for the purpose of identifying Spanish-speaking (SS) children at risk for Language Impairment (LI), (b) is valid and reliable across different Spanish dialects, different socioeconomic groups, and different ethnicities, (c) uses a…

Accurate prediction of early childhood reading performance could help identify at-risk students, aid in the development of evidence-based intervention strategies, and further our theoretical understanding of reading development. This study assessed the validity of the Developmental Indicator for the Assessment of Learning (DIAL) language-based…

Compares the discriminant validity, for general psychiatric screening, of an abbreviated 168-item administration of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory with that of the standard 373-item short form. Also provides new and improved equations for converting scores from the shorter form to equivalent MMPI clinical scale scores. (RC)

To determine which children in the Head Start program may have vision problems, Head Start teachers and staff do vision "screening." This booklet demonstrates how to do the screening using the Snellen "E Chart." Trouble signs that the test administrator should be aware of are listed, and vision scores are explained simply.…

The effectiveness of the FKSN (Finding Kids with Special Needs) device is supported with statistical data obtained from a screening program and validation survey conducted in 30 Wisconsin school districts. (SBH)

Screening for learning disabilities in preschoolers. (DAG)

Little information on preparticipation screening exams of physically or mentally disabled athletes exists. This report includes the results of 176 preparticipation exams. Suggestions are made regarding effective screening methods. Improvements in the design of consent forms to better help physicians and parents understand the athletes' special…

Use of the Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory (SASSI), a new instrument for assessing chemical dependency, was tested on 376 college students. The SASSI showed significant promise in discriminating between nonabusers, moderate abusers, and severe abusers. The need for an instrument impervious to social desirability effects is discussed.…

Clinical techniques for visual screening of infants that are not used in routine pediatric examinations include optokinetic nystagmus, preferential looking, and visually evoked potential. Greater use of such techniques might increase success of nonsurgical remedial intervention. (CL)

Studies four groups of infants with iron deficiency but without anemia in an attempt to discover behavioral signs that can be used to index high-risk probability for iron deficiency. Solemnity in well-attached infants is suggested as a clinical sign to indicate the need for biochemical screening for iron deficiency. (AS)

Factor analysis of the Gifted Student Screening Scale (GSSS) indicated that it is appropriate for use with both gifted and nongifted students. Cross-validation using discriminant analysis showed that the GSSS stably differentiated gifted and nongifted students. Cut-scores for identifying students for further testing for gifted programs were…

The paper argues that the poor predictive validity of many preschool screening tests can be traced to heavy reliance on traditional psychometric approaches. Both theory and data are presented to illustrate the efficacy of an approach featuring active cognitive development. (Author/CL)