This fifth annual report describes activities of Colorado's Statewide system of services and supports in compliance with Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). The report notes an increasing emphasis on the following: values-oriented planning with extensive family involvement, interagency coordination, coordinated…

This report analyzes the content of State regulations for determining student eligibility for services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The Federal law and regulations set a basic standard for the design and delivery of special education, and each State has adopted its own laws and regulations to supplement the Federal…

This paper addresses incidence of hearing loss in school-age children, components of hearing conservation programs, and hearing loss education. Incidence figures for the following hearing loss categories are detailed: unilateral hearing loss, fluctuating hearing loss, minimal sensorineural hearing loss, and mild to profound hearing loss.…

Overreliance on test-based assessment of learning disabilities can produce diagnostic results of questionable validity and prove stigmatizing for the child. An instructional-based model focuses on evaluation of the child's response to teaching. Observation and analysis of the student's reaction yeilds results that are more readily translatable…

Many learning disabled children display sensory or motor hyperactivity. They commonly have perceptual problems in sensory discrimination, memory, sequencing, figure-background relationship, and integration of multiple sensory stimuli. Recommendations are given for psychological diagnosis and educational programming to meet the needs of learning…

Explores the rationale behind cross-categorical resource programs for students with mild to moderate learning and behavior problems; examines the current status of this approach as a service delivery option. Discusses teacher training considerations in light of possible discrepancies between intention and implementation of cross-categorical…

Syntactic development in the oral language of learning disabled and normal students at two intermediate and two secondary-school age levels was compared using two indices, the T-unit and the Syntactic Density Score. It was concluded that no single, sensitive, numerical index exists to quantify syntactic development. (SW)

This paper proposes an approach to diagnosing learning disabilities that measures the intrinsic processing or capacity weaknesses that are presumed to underlie academic performance problems. This approach is contrasted with the "diagnosis by exclusion" method currently used. The paper discusses: (1) a definition of intrinsic processes with…

The 16 chapters of this comprehensive guide to teaching students with learning disabilities cover the following topics: (1) an overview of the field of learning disabilities (characteristics, causes, prevalence, prognosis, and resources); (2) research in the field of learning disabilities (how the brain works, how children learn); (3) relevant…

This report discusses the outcomes of a study of 147 children (ages 7-10) with learning disabilities that investigated the extent to which students legally classified with learning disabilities concurrently manifested mixed lateral dominance (MLD). The study was conducted to determine if MLD was a possible predictive factor for early…

This guide from Iowa is intended to: clarify changes in the state's new rules on special education; make the state's definition of mental disability operational; provide practical guidelines on preferred practices for determination of mental disability and the need for special education services; and highlight prescriptive assessment practices…

This paper examines statistics that appear to show a 20 percent decline in the number of students identified as mildly mentally retarded. Evidence is provided which suggests that the primary reason for these declining figures is that these children are being classified as learning disabled. Relatively loose criteria for the learning disabilities…

This report discusses the findings of a study that investigated whether the New York State Education Department's Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) has improved its oversight of special education by implementing a system for evaluating the performance of special education programs, and whether…

This children's book tells the story of 10-year-old Jimmy who is having problems at school and believes he is stupid. After a parent-teacher conference, he is tested and found to have a learning disability. The book discusses the characteristics of learning disabilities and the help Jimmy receives from a tutor. It concludes with Jimmy performing…

This brief paper summarizes warning signs of learning disabilities in preschool children, elementary school children, and secondary school children. It notes that learning disabilities are presumed to arise from dysfunctions in the brain resulting in significant difficulties in perceiving information, processing and/or remembering information,…