Recategorized WISC-R scores of learning disabled children and differential diagnosis

This study analyzed WISC-R profiles along a three-factor approach (Spatial; Verbal-Comprehensive; Attention-Concentration), as suggested by Bannatyne (1968) for purposes of differential diagnosis. The WISC-R profiles of 278 school-verified learning disabled children were compared to those of four other groups: Educable Mentally Impaired (N = 141), Emotionally Impaired (N = 67), Otherwise Impaired (N = 61), and Nonimpaired (N = 294). The total sample was drawn from the State of Michigan public schools. Statistically significant differences were found between the learning disabled group and the other four groups on WISC-R subtest scores. Further analysis revealed that 36% of the learning disabled and 32% of normal children exhibited this WISC-R profile. Analysis of WISC-R profiles of Spatial→Verbal→Attention was not useful in differential diagnosis among the five groups. The results are discussed in terms of the limited utility of a three-factor analysis of WISC-R subtest scores for the purpose of differential diagnosis.     

Cognitive Profile of Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Rethinking Nonverbal Learning Disabilities

The cognitive profiles of children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF‐1) have many similarities to those observed in learning disabilities in the general school population, as well as some distinct features. Approximately 30–65 percent of children with NF‐1 have learning disabilities; most commonly, they have language and reading disabilities, along with motor, visuomotor, and visuospatial deficits. Similar to learning disabilities in the general population, approximately 50 percent of children with NF‐1 have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In this article, the genetic and physical characteristics, the diagnostic criteria of NF‐1, and the cognitive profile of children with NF‐1 (including relationships between neurological abnormalities and cognition) are reviewed. Additionally, the types of educational interventions that would be indicated for children with NF‐1 are discussed.     

Differential ability scales: Profiles of learning-disabled subtypes

The purpose of this study was to determine whether distinct subgroups of children with learning disabilities could be identified using a single, recently developed instrument—the Differential Ability Scales (DAS). Ward's method of cluster analysis was used to group 83 school-verified children with learning disabilities from the standardization sample. The following six subgroups were identified: (a) generalized, (b) high functioning, (c) normal, (d) underachievement, (e) borderline, and (f) dyseidetic. Not all subgroups displayed the expected discrepancy between intelligence and achievement associated with the current definitions of I.D. In subsequent discriminant analyses, both achievement and diagnostic subtests were necessary for accuracy in classification. This study provided evidence of the DAS's ability to diagnose the learning disabled differentially and provided distinct profiles for LD subgroups. Administration of the diagnostic subtests along with achievement subtests can provide the clinician with valuable diagnostic information for LD.     

残疾儿童教育不公平现象的原因分析——五论残疾儿童教育公平

我国残疾儿童教育存在不公平的现象,造成这一现象的主要原因有如下几点:(1)在法律法规方面,残疾人教育法律法规不完备、执法不到位,导致残疾儿童受教育权没有得到充分保障;(2)在经费方面,残疾儿童教育经费投入不足,并且残疾儿童教育教师薪酬水平比普通儿童教育教师低;(3)在教育管理方面,不仅残疾儿童教育管理体制不健全,而且残疾儿童教育督导不力;(4)在社会、文化方面,社会支持保障体系不健全,传统文化对残疾人的偏见也对残疾儿童教育存在着消极影响。     

Modeling Unobserved Heterogeneity Using Latent Profile Analysis: A Monte Carlo Simulation

Latent profile analysis (LPA) has become a popular statistical method for modeling unobserved population heterogeneity in cross-sectionally sampled data, but very few empirical studies have examined the question of how well enumeration indexes accurately identify the correct number of latent profiles present. This Monte Carlo simulation study examined the ability of several classes of enumeration indexes to correctly identify the number of latent population profiles present under 3 different research design conditions: sample size, the number of observed variables used for LPA, and the separation distance among the latent profiles measured in Mahalanobis D units. Results showed that, for the homogeneous population (i.e., the population has k = 1 latent profile) conditions, many of the enumeration indexes used in LPA were able to correctly identify the single latent profile if variances and covariances were freely estimated. However, for a heterogeneous population (i.e., the population has k = 3 distinct latent profiles), the correct identification rate for the enumeration indexes in the k = 3 latent profile conditions was typically very low. These results are compared with the previous cross-sectional mixture modeling studies, and the limitations of this study, as well as future cross-sectional mixture modeling and enumeration index research possibilities, are discussed.     

北京市残疾儿童、少年随班就读调查报告

大力开展残疾儿童少年随班就读是普及残疾儿童义务教育的需要。它既符合国情，是发展残疾儿童少年义务教育的主要形式，也符合国际上残疾儿童少年教育发展的大趋势。“七五”中期至“八五”期间，北京市在开展盲、低视力、聋和重听以及轻度弱智儿童随班就读方面进行了较为广泛的实验。这次对随班就读工作的全面调查和分析，为贯彻北京市特殊教育“九五”发展规划中提出的“巩固、发展、完善、提高”一方针，使北京市残疾儿童随班就读工作发展到一个新的水平，提供借鉴和参考。     

Educational orientations of college students: A typological analysis

Previous research on student typological models has centered on undergraduates' general philosophies of higher education. This study focused on students' more specific views of the purposes of education, desired teaching-learning arrangements, and roles with faculty in academic decision-making. Undergraduates (N = 3,628) completed the Student Orientations Survey, and orientation scale scores were used in a multidimensional typological analysis. Five distinct student learner profiles were identified; coefficients of group homogeneity and between-groupF's supported the uniqueness of each group profile. Discussion centered on various implications for postsecondary institutions regarding the use of a typological scheme premised on student orientations and learning preferences.Presented at the American Educational Research Association Conference, March 28, 1978.     

WISC-R performance of children referred to a university center for learning disabilities

This study compared the WISC-R performance of 40 children ranging in age from 6–6 to 15–10, referred to a university center for suspected learning disabilities, with that of two clinically defined groups of learning disabled children. The university center children were found to have WISC-R profiles similar to those of the learning disabled children, with higher overall levels of performance. It was speculated that these children avoid classification as learning disabled by virtue of possessing higher cognitive abilities than those children who are classified. Implications were raised concerning the role of university centers with children experiencing learning difficulties and the accuracy of parental perceptions of learning disabilities.     

An investigation of the ability of selected instruments to discriminate areas of exceptional class designation

Ninety exceptional children—30 emotionally handicapped (EH), 30 learning disabled (LD), and 30 educable mentally retarded (EMR)—attending public, self-contained classrooms in the Southeast were systematically selected from a master list of all exceptional students (1,355) who had been referred for placement within the last 4 years. All available data used in the placement process, i.e., WISC-R profiles, Key Math scores, and teacher rating scale scores, were obtained by a search of the children's permanent records. To determine the relative effectiveness of the assessment devices in contributing to appropriate placement decisions, a MANOVA with subsequent univariate analyses and multiple discriminant function analyses was employed. Results indicated that both the LD and the EH groups differed significantly from the EMR group, and that classification results for all groups were inadequate.     

Verbal Intelligence: a key to basic skills?

Intra‐individual variability of cognitive measures, such as verbal and spatial ability tests, has frequently been reported to typify learning disabled children. To test the generality of such findings, longitudinal data from a large representative and non‐clinical sample of Swedish children (n = 812) were analysed. At age 10, the children were tested with a Swedish intelligence scale. At age 13, basic academic skills were measured by standardised achievement tests. Typical cognitive profile types, based on the verbal and spatial intelligence subtests, were identified through cluster analyses (CLUSTAN) of the girl and boy samples separately. The satisfactory solution arrived at was a five‐cluster representation for the girls (n = 497) and an eight‐cluster representation for the boys (n = 497). For both sexes, verbally as well as spatially oriented profiles emerged. However, the verbal orientation was more pronounced for girls, whereas the boys displayed greater variability and stronger spatial orientation. General intelligence at age 10 was a strong predictor for basic skills at age 13 (r > 0.70). Verbally strong children tended to achieve better than predicted by their overall level of intelligence, whereas spatially oriented children showed a less favourable development in basic academic skills. The results are discussed in relation to neuropsychologically‐based models of reading disability and theories of language and development.     

The performance of preschoolers with speech/language disorders on the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities

The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) was used to evaluate the performance of preschool children with speech/language disorders. Preschoolers were screened first for normal intelligence using the Performance scale of the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI). Preschoolers with speechllanguage disorders had significantly lower scores on all scales of the MSCA (Verbal, Perceptual/Performance, Quantitative, and Memory), except the Motor scale. They also had an average 20-point lower GCI than the control children. An analysis of the scores of the speechllanguage group on subtests revealed difficulty in short- term auditory memory skills but not in short-term visual memory skills. Deficits in categorical thinking skills and verbal expression skills were also evident. Characteriza- tion of learning disabilities in preschoolers with speechllanguage disorders is discussed.     

中国特殊教育发展面临的六大转变

中国特殊教育纵向比较确实取得了令人瞩目的成就,不仅接受义务教育的残疾儿童数量显著增加,残疾学生学前教育、高中教育、高等教育、职业教育等也都取得了很大的发展。但面对日益发展的中国经济、日益提升的中国国际地位、国际特殊教育发展的新趋势和国内残疾人日益多样化的特殊需求,中国特殊教育要想健康发展,须完成六大转变：（1）在政策层面由特殊教育条例向特殊教育法律法规的转变;（2）特殊教育由三类残疾儿童教育向特殊需要儿童教育的转变;（3）特殊教育投入由单纯重视硬件投入向满足残疾儿童需要的转变;（4）教育形式由特殊学校教育逐渐向随班就读学校教育的转变;（5）学校教育建设重心由东部发达地区向中西部地区的转变;（6）师资培训方式由单一的特殊高校师资培养向普通大学开设特教专业培养方式的转变。     

Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll broad cognitive ability profiles of low math achievers

This study extends previous research examining the relations between Cattell‐Horn‐Carroll cognitive abilities and math achievement. The cognitive profiles of children with normative weaknesses in Math Calculation Skills or Math Reasoning were compared to those of their average‐achieving peers. The cognitive profile of the low Math Calculation Skills group (n = 68) was similar to that of their average‐achieving peers. The low Math Reasoning group (n = 52) scored lower than their average‐achieving peers on the cognitive abilities as a set and on Fluid Reasoning and Comprehension–Knowledge. When individual profiles were considered, approximately half of the children with normative math weaknesses demonstrated commensurate weaknesses in one or more cognitive abilities, which may inform diagnostic models of learning disabilities. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 42: 1–12, 2005.     

推进残疾儿童教育公平任重道远——四论残疾儿童教育公平

教育公平可分为教育机会、教育过程、教育结果的公平,我国残疾儿童教育在上述三方面均存在令人担忧的问题。在教育机会上,与普通儿童相比,残疾儿童义务教育入学率、学前教育入学率相对较低,辍学率则高于普通儿童;在残疾儿童内部,不同残疾类型、不同性别、不同经济发展水平地区的残疾儿童之间也存在受教育机会不均衡的现象。在教育过程上,残疾儿童随班就读质量较低,残疾儿童教育师资比较薄弱,残疾儿童受教育质量难以保障。在教育结果上,六年级以后残疾儿童在校生人数急剧下降,残疾儿童职业教育发展非常薄弱,造成了教育与就业之间的断层。所以说我国残疾儿童教育公平事业还面临诸多挑战,任重道远。     

Applying the Mastery Learning Model to Sight Word Instruction for Disabled Readers

The present study evaluated the effect of applying a mastery learning model to sight word instruction for learning disabled (LD), elementary school children. A total of 48 LD children were taught 30 sight words in 9 lessons which incorporated mastery learning strategies, and a comparison group (W = 16) with methods that are typically used in the teaching of sight words. While all children could read less than 10% of the words on the pretest, the experimental group achieved over 90% accuracy on the posttest. This was higher than the average posttest performance of the comparison group (72% accuracy). Results of this investigation suggest that a majority of LD children can reach mastery on sight words within a reasonable time framework if sound remedial principles are applied consistently. The procedures described in this paper can serve both as a model of effective sight word instruction and as a diagnostic, trial-remediation technique for a disabled population.     

Individualized special education with cognitive skill assessment

Ahmed is a learning environment which—in addition to supporting openness in learning materials and adaptivity in learning events—supports evaluation of a learner's cognitive skills. The intended learners in the environment are disabled children. We present a justification of the system by comparing it to previous intelligent tutoring systems. Despite some shortcomings in A hmed 's philosophy, it provides a usable addition to the computer-aided special education.     

我国残疾儿童少年随班就读师资培训中的问题及对策

随班就读是具有典型中国特色的融合教育形式之一,师资是提高随班就读质量、保障残疾儿童少年公平受教育权利的重要保证。当前随班就读师资培训中存在的问题有：高等院校教师教育培养目标严重缺位;相关文件规定的培训目标模糊不清;职后培训模式单一,形式死板;师资培训的课程不完整,内容普教化、针对性不强。解决对策主要有：明确承担随班就读工作的师资条件,细化师资培训目标;结合实际,灵活拓展培训新模式;构建合理的师资培训课程内容。     

Receptive Language of Gifted and Learning Disabled‐Gifted Children

Three tests of receptive language were administered to thirty children enrolled in regular, gifted, and learning disabled‐gifted programs. Analyses of variance indicated that the Token Test for Children differentiated the learning disabled‐gifted children and the Verbal Absurdities Subtest of the Detroit Tests of Learning Aptitude differentiated the gifted children from the other two groups.     

A Comparison of three short forms of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities

Three short forms of the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) have been developed to screen the cognitive skills of young children suspected of learning disorders and developmental delays. Based on a sample of 40 children between the ages 5–13 to 6–13, correlations of .92, .61, and .72 were obtained between the scores of the children on the full form of the MSCA and the Kaufman, Taylor, and MST short forms, respectively. The Kaufman short form also had the highest test-retest reliability at r = .87. The advantages of the Kaufman short form over the other two short forms are discussed.