This article describes the method and adaptations used by the author in including students with special needs in an instrumental music program. To ensure success in the program, the author shares the method he uses to include exceptional students and enumerates some possible adaptations. There are certainly other methods and modifications that…

In Ontario, Canada, there is a demand for psychometrically robust screening tools capable of efficiently identifying students with specific learning disabilities (SLD), such as dyslexia. The present study investigated the ability of the Dyslexia Adult Screening Test (DAST) to discriminate between 117 post-secondary students with carefully…

A responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI) approach to diagnosing LD is a leading alternative to current practice. This study conducted a meta-analytic review of research on four existing large-scale RTI models and other models implemented for research. Twenty-four effect sizes and unbiased estimates of effect (UEE) were computed. Results found a…

Cognitive subtest scatter has often been considered to be diagnostically significant. The current study tested the diagnostic validity of four separate operationalizations of WISC-III subtest scatter: (a) range of verbal, performance, and full-scale subtests; (b) variance of verbal, performance, and full-scale subtests; (c) number of subtests…

This article provides a brief primer overview of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analysis. DIF analysis investigates a differential characteristic of a test item between subpopulations of examinees and is useful in detecting possibly biased items toward a particular subpopulation. As demonstration, a dataset from a 40-item math test in a…

Many educational theorists in recent decades have argued for the plurality of forms of knowledge, both in the mind and in the curriculum. Two popular ways of conceptualizing this plurality have claimed that individual students either differ in their "learning styles" or possess "multiple intelligences". Both theories have encountered numerous…

In this article, the author criticizes the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for students with learning disabilities and points out some faulty and misguided thinking and assumptions embodied in NCLB's approach to special education. The author fears that the law's unrealistic expectations for these students and their teachers give…

This study compared the school performance of a sample of slow learners who qualified for special education as learning disabled with a sample of slow learners who did not qualify for special education. The intent of the study was to determine which group of slow learners was more successful in school in order to know if special education or…

Effective transition planning is of paramount importance in maximizing post school outcomes for students with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to examine data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study--2 regarding the transition planning for students with mental retardation. In addition, for comparison purposes, data on transition…

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine if a single math-based chronometric task could accurately discriminate between college students with and without a diagnosed math disorder. Analyzing data from 31 students (6 in the case group, 25 in the clinical comparison group), it was found that the single chronometric task could accurately…

The complex nature of written expression presents difficulty for many students, particularly those with learning disabilities (LD). The literature in the area of written expression and students with learning disabilities indicates that explicit, rule-based instruction can enhance the writing skills of struggling students. Research in Direct…

The problem of solving mathematical equations can be quite tough for some students hence they face a great difficulty when applying ideas to the actual process. Students in algebra classes are taught coding in which they write down what they will need to do to solve the equation and this coding makes the students more adept at solving equations…

The effects of feedback to assist elementary school students classified as either normally achieving (NA) or with a mathematics learning disability (MLD) in acquiring the fact series of 0 to 9 for the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division were examined in Study 1. The acquisition of each fact series was facilitated by…

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) stands at the forefront of contemporary efforts to create access to education curricula for all students, including those with disabilities. This policy reader comprises a notably wide range of articles that address the challenges and opportunities facing policy makers as they consider UDL's implications for…

The purpose of this action research project was to improve the social skills of eight preschool students and four first grade and second grade students through the use of Social Stories and visual supports to create a more positive learning environment. The teacher researchers wanted to increase the social skills of students who had been diagnosed…