This article describes using a graphic representation technique to teach students with learning disabilities to be effective problem-solvers. It discusses the key aspects of this instruction, shows how to use the strategy for solving word problems, and discusses how to assess students' problem-solving performance. Examples are provided. (Contains…

Students (n=1,343) were administered either a standard format mathematics test or one in which questions were read aloud. Performance of students with learning disabilities (LD) was compared to others on specific "difficult reading" items. Elementary school students with LD (but not middle school students with LD or general education students)…

This article discusses the difficulty with which children with social disabilities establish and maintain friendships, as well as the significance of this difficulty within the school setting. Practical classroom strategies are illustrated, as well as interventions that target select social-skills deficits frequently encountered by students with…

Young adults (N=277) with and without learning disabilities or emotional or behavioral disorders were interviewed regarding their school and post-drop out experiences. Findings indicate that factors such as disability status, when individuals drop out, and self-perspectives influence education participation. Strategies for helping students who…

This article reviews the varied components of written language, suggest informal means for written language assessment, and summarizes the cognitive and linguistic factors that influence varied aspects of writing performance. Two informal evaluation scales are presented that stress the interconnection between oral and written language processes.…

Techniques described in this article provide teachers with tools to understand the mental processes that students engage in as they read, write, and problem solve. Use of these techniques may also encourage students to become more active participants in their education. The techniques include journals and learning logs, clinical interviews, and…

A study evaluated the effects of instruction in a comprehensive, independent assignment completion strategy on homework completion rates and the quality of products completed in response to assignments given in general education classrooms. Eight of nine students mastered use of the strategy and their homework completion rates and products…

A study investigated the responses of 22 high school students with learning disabilities to an intervention intended to promote self-realization. Activities were embedded within the general English curriculum. Through the intervention, students acquired information that helped them make sense of their school experiences, redefine themselves, and…

A study examined the effects of several text-entry methods, including handwriting and five computer-based approaches, in enhancing the speed of text entry for 108 students with learning disabilities. Handwriting was found to be the fastest mode of text entry, followed by word prediction. All methods improved writing accuracy. (Author/CR)

This review of the history of learning disabilities (LD) suggests that creation of the LD category has served scientific, if not always, policy purposes. It finds that 40 years of research have produced inventive, creative tools that benefit both investigation and intervention and, most importantly, a better understanding of individual…

A study explored the effects of class-wide peer tutoring on the acquisition of sight words in a self-contained class of 10 fourth-and fifth-grade students with mild to moderate disabilities. All students gained approximately one grade level in sight word recognition over the eight-week peer tutoring period. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Investigates effects of a direct instruction main idea summarization program and a self-monitoring technique on the reading comprehension of 4 sixth-grade students with learning disabilities. Student performance was assessed after the main idea instruction and self-monitoring training. Finds the program produced increases in identifying and…

A comparison of 46 college students with learning disabilities (LD) who received permission to waive a foreign language (FL) requirement with 21 students with LD who fulfilled the requirement found that more students who had petitioned had a 1.0 standard deviation discrepancy between IQ and achievement and were referred only for FL learning…

A study involving 19 elementary students with behavioral and learning disabilities found that after participating in "Service-Learning Opportunities Prepared for Citizenship," an inclusive after school program, students expressed personal responsibility, responded to ideas of cooperation and teamwork, learned to make new friends, and…

Discusses the possibility that many English-as-a-Second-Language learners who are viewed as poor language learners are in fact struggling because they have a learning disability. This article is a basic primer on learning disabilities. It describes classroom behaviors associated with several common learning problems, and the results of research…