The study evaluated use of a card displaying seven self-instructional questions designed to prompt students to think about their handwriting. Use of the card with two learning disabled elementary school males resulted in improved handwriting which persisted over time even after the card was no longer available. (DB)

Many gifted learning-disabled children, characterized by superior intellectual ability and difficulty in mastering basic skills, are not being identified to receive special services for either exceptionality. A multidimensional identification approach is necessary for comprehensive assessment, and successful programming must be based on the…

The effects of specific vs. nonspecific referral information and test data on school psychologists' decisions were investigated. Eighty-two psychologists reviewed a hypothetical case study and made psychoeducational decisions. Knowledge of a teacher's reasons for referral did not influence expectations or placement decisions, but test data on…

The study examined the ability of Kaufman's (1979) profile analysis procedure with the WISC-R (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised) to discriminate learning disabled (LD) from non-LD children. A discriminant analysis of data on 279 children resulted in low classification accuracy, suggesting limited diagnostic utility of Kaufman's…

College counselors can increase the likelihood of school success for learning-disabled students by developing long-term therapeutic relationships in which they help students maneuver through the system, acknowledging their limitations and celebrating their triumphs. Proper motivation is crucial to success. (Author/CB)

Software packages geared to learning disabled college students in such subjects as reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics are briefly described, and a partial list of specialty publishers is included. (Author/CB)

Reanalysis of data derived from a meta-analysis of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, using a learning disability index derived from a principal-components analysis, found that the test discriminated reliably between 9,372 learning-disabled children and their non-disabled peers. (Author/CB)

The article reacts to C. E. Sleeter's analysis of the history of learning disabilities by concluding that the fundamental problems in learning disabilities and other mildly handicapping conditions are the consequence of their politicization and not of political pressures for their establishment. (Author/DB)

Seven learning disabled elementary students received metacognitive training in the strategic use of language information (summarizing, questioning, clarifying, predicting) using a reciprocal teaching procedure. Although results of reading achievement posttests were insignificant, subjects experienced greater gains in self-esteem than a control…

Examined the performance of Latino learning-disabled children (N=42) of limited English proficiency on the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC) and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). All subscales of the WISC-R and the K-ABC correlated significantly except the K-ABC Sequential scale, which failed to correlate…

The study compared states identifying either many or few students as behaviorally disordered on the variables of (1) average per pupil expenditure, (2) size of minority population, (3) number of students identified as learning disabled. No significant differences between the two groups of states were found for the three variables. (Author/DB)

Discusses the major elements of writing process instruction and the positive influence they have on learning-disabled and inner-city high-risk students. Argues that such process-writing programs might serve as a preventative measure for children likely to be categorized as learning disabled in the future. (HTH)

Studies of the reliability, normative data, construct validity, and concurrent validity of the Social Perception Behavior Rating Scale used with mildly learning-disabled, behavior-disordered, and nondisabled children indicated adequate reliability, marked differences in scores of handicapped and nonhandicapped children, and a logical pattern of…

The research review and survey of 20 teachers of learning disabled (LD) students identified seven components of computer assisted courseware for the LD student considered essential (such as simple directions, an uncluttered screen, and feedback) These components were not consistently found in the courseware evaluated. (Author/DB)

Finger spelling was effectively used to improve the spelling performance of 12 students (grades 4-9) with spelling problems. The 10-step procedure involves use of a partner (preferably a parent), intermittent involvement of the special education teacher, and a time period of 3 to 9 months. (DB)