This commentary on a critique of holism within the learning disabilities field (EC 606 137) discusses differences between the natural and behavioral sciences, raises questions regarding the usefulness of the distinction between open and closed systems, challenges the notion that causation can be demonstrated without allowing for prediction, and…

Children (ages 9-13) with language-learning disabilities were administered 5 types of verbal analogies: synonyms, antonyms, linear order, category membership, and functional relationship. Subjects performed worse than mental age-matched children on all types of analogies and performed worse than language age-matched children on all types except…

A student (age 15) classified as behaviorally disordered tutored a student with learning disabilities. The peer tutoring brought about improvements in the tutee's on-task and academic performance but not in the tutor's disruptive behavior. Self-monitoring and a self-instructional component were then implemented to eliminate the tutor's disruptive…

Differences in comprehension, production, and appreciation of humor were explored among a total of 47 second and fourth graders, of whom 26 fourth graders had learning disabilities or developmental handicaps. Although children without disabilities comprehended cartoons better, no production differences were observed. (Author/DB)

Crack addicts are bringing about 475,000 damaged children yearly into society. This article describes classroom techniques proven effective with crack-affected children afflicted with hyperactivity, impulsivity, learning and memory problems, and inability to grasp cause/effect relationships. The teaching techniques include removing stimuli from…

Twenty-one learning-disabled and 22 nondisabled junior high students heard a series of audiotaped stories describing interactions between 2 individuals, with each story containing a statement that was either sincere, deceptive, or sarcastic. Probes of students' interpretations of these statements found that learning-disabled students were less…

The Interagency Committee on Learning Disabilities' definition of learning disabilities implies that the presence of social skills deficits alone suffices for diagnosis, even in the absence of academic difficulties. Overlaps between this criterion and eligibility criteria for emotional disturbance are discussed along with implications for…

The literature on notetaking is reviewed, including theoretical perspectives and listener- and lecturer-controlled variables influencing both the encoding function and storage functions of notetaking. Findings are applied to training secondary and postsecondary students with learning disabilities in notetaking skills. (DB)

The training of learning strategies with students having academic difficulties is discussed in the context of theory that distinguishes between declarative and procedural knowledge and between inert and useful learning. Explained are effective learning strategies for acquiring useful declarative knowledge, practice strategies for procedural…

Thirty special educators were randomly assigned to treatment groups, including a control condition and different levels of curriculum-based management analysis, one of which included graphed performance indicators with skills analysis; one, graphed performance indicators only, and another, graphed performance indicators with ordered lists of…

This article introduces a series of papers that explain and illustrate how a higher order thinking curriculum can be designed for a full spectrum of students, including students with learning disabilities. The article discusses an approach in which concepts, rules, and strategies are taught by organizing content around the process of noting…

A review of relevant cognitive research in mathematics is presented and applied to instructional practice with students with learning disabilities. The review focuses on the role of three principles of curriculum development in facilitating procedural competence in mathematics: the nature of examples, explicitness, and parsimony. (Author/JDD)

Students with language and learning disabilities may have difficulty solving mathematics word problems. Use of a sequential checklist, identifying clues and keywords, and illustrating a problem can all help the student identify and implement the correct computational process. (DB)

Results of a survey of 49 state directors of special education are reported in terms of degree to which secondary learning-disabled (LD) students receive content area coursework from special educators; the pattern and projected growth in such models; and the perceived adequacy of secondary LD teacher training programs for providing content…

This article reviews research on mathematics learning and forgetting, especially for students with learning and other disabilities. It notes the important role of mathematical language and the substantial loss of mathematics achievement over the summer vacation. Year-round schooling is encouraged to eliminate prolonged interruptions in…