The social perception of learning disabled and non‐learning disabled children

This study was undertaken to determine if there were differences in the social perception of learning disabled and non‐learning disabled youngsters, whether social perception was related to sex and if interaction by sex and learning disability status was involved. Fifty‐seven elementary school children aged 9 to 11 years were given four measures of social perception. Results showed that learning disabled children differed significantly (p .01) from their non‐learning disabled peers on each of the four measures. Neither sex nor group by sex interaction was significant. Assessment and intervention aimed at improving social perceptual skills should be incorporated into educational programming for those learning disabled children who exhibit deficiencies in this area of functioning.     

Analysis of cognitive abilities for learning disabled children

The study investigated WISC-R subtest pattern scores of 58 learning disabled children (42 boys and 16 girls) ranging in age from 6 years to 15 years, 10 months. The variation in subtest scores was analyzed by a 1 X 10 analysis of variance with repeated measures on the single factor. Differences between individual subtest means were analyzed by the Newman-Keuls test for simple effects. The evidence indicates that the low subtest scores on Arithmetic, Coding and Information were characteristic of this group. The study did not support the verbal-Performance discrepancies as useful in the diagnosis of learning disabilities.     

Teaching learning disabled students goal-implementation skills

Eight learning disabled (LD) junior high school students were taught goal-setting and self-regulatory skills in a resource room setting. The training program was designed to help students set realistic goals, develop plans to achieve these goals, monitor and evaluate their own behavior, and accept responsibility for the outcome of goal-directed activities. The goal-implementation strategy was effective in increasing some students' rates of assignment completion in the resource room and the regular classroom. Following the training program, students attributed success to effort; failure was attributed to effort, luck, and task difficulty.     

Programming effects on learning disabled children: Performance and affect

Negative effects of category labels on the attitudes of children as well as the expectations of teachers have been hypothesized but rarely substantiated with empirical data. Forty-five elementary school children identified according to state guidelines as learning disabled were rated by their classroom teachers on academic progress and personal-social adjustment using the Myklebust Pupil Rating Scale. Student attitude toward school was also assessed using the Describe Your School inventory. Learning disabled students receiving special programming were rated significantly better than students identified as learning disabled but not receiving special programming. No differences in attitude toward school were noted. Results suggest that negative effects of labels may be effectively counterbalanced by positive effects of special programming.     

Stability of WISC-R subtest profiles for learning disabled children

Stability of the WISC-R subtest profile for 161 learning disabled (LD) children over a 7-month test-retest interval was examined. A unique subtest profile reported earlier (Smith, Coleman, Dokecki, & Davis, 1977a) was replicated. Performance IQ was significantly greater than Verbal IQ at both testing occasions. A mean test-retest increase was observed for Performance IQ, but not for Verbal IQ.     

Teaching complex content to learning disabled students: the role of technology

A program of research has combined the effectiveness of Direct Instruction curriculum design and mastery learning with the efficiency of technology to teach more cognitively complex skills. This article explains one example of this comprehensive intervention in detail. Findings from several studies are briefly reviewed. The purpose of this article is to document how such a comprehensive intervention reduces performance differences between students with learning disabilities and their peers, while using technology to minimize, or even reduce, the demands placed on the teacher.     

Written narratives of normal and learning disabled children

Writing samples of children in grades one through three were collected in two midwestern elementary schools using the Picture Story Language Test. Each story was scored for productivity, syntax, and level of abstraction. Results indicated that performance in all aspects of written language improved with age. A second study was conducted to compare the writing of normal children who were average readers in grades one through three with learning disabled children who were reading at comparable levels. The results indicated no significant differences in productivity but there were differences in syntax. Problems were noted particularly in morphology. Further observations indicated the learning disabled poor readers also had more problems with handwriting and spelling than average readers.