Intelligence,achievement, and visual-motor performance among learning disabled and emotionally impaired children

This study investigated the performance of Learning Disabled (LD) and Emotionally Impaired (EI) children on intelligence, achievement, and visual-motor tests. An attempt was made to find patterns of performance and/or specific variables that would aid in identification and differentiation of these two groups. Eighty elementary school children were selected on the basis of their placement within either a learning disability or emotionally impaired classroom, according to the specifications of Michigan Mandatory Special Education Guidelines. The LD group consisted of 38 subjects and the EI group of 42. All of the children were tested on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT), and the Minnesota-Percepto-Diagnostic Test (MPD). In addition, age and sex were investigated. The data were analyzed by discriminant function analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis. A cutoff score was established that significantly separated the LD and EI children. It was also established which of the test scoring variables used were the best predictors.     

Direct and indirect measures of writing for nonlearning disabled and learning disabled college students

Direct and indirect measures were used to compare the written language abilities of three groups of college students: two with learning disabilities and one without learning disabilities. Main effects were found for group, but not gender. Differences between nonlearning disabled students (NLD) and those with learning disabilities (LD) in writing were evident on both types of measures. Performance by LD students with disabilities in an area other than writing differed depending on the type of measure and often was no different from either of the other two groups. The combined use of direct and indirect measures appeared most effective for examining the complexities of writing produced by all groups.     

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.     

Factor structure of the Wallach-Kogan Tests of Creativity and measures of intelligence and achievement

The Wallach-Kogan Tests of Creativity were administered to 129 second-graders and fluency and uniqueness scores were computed for each of five subtests. Also, each subject was given the Primary Mental Abilities Test and three subtests from the IOWA Tests of Basic Skills. Factor analysis by the principal components method yielded two creativity factors, verbal and figural, that were independent of those defined by the intelligence and achievement measures. Thus, evidence was obtained for the construct validity of the Wallach-Kogan measures of creative thinking.     

Factor structure of psychoeducational and neuropsychological measures of learning-disabled children

This study investigated the factor structure of psychoeducational and neuropsychological measures used in the assessment of learning-disabled children. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Battery, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, and the Wide Range Achievement Test were administered to 934 males and females between the ages of 8 and 16 years. A principal-components analysis with varimax rotation indicated the existence of seven factors: Verbal Reasoning, Academic Achievement, Visual-Perceptual Organization, Developmental, Visual-Motor Speed, Spatial Memory, and Attention and Concentration. Three factors provided new information about the functioning of learning-disabled children that may need to be considered before comprehensive identification and placement decisions can be offered. Results of this study lend support to the notion of utilizing neuropsychological measures as an adjunct to traditional psychoeducational assessment.     

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.     

Format changes in reading achievement tests: Implications for learning disabled students

It has been seen that children's scores on reading achievement tests vary not only with knowledge of content, but also with the differing formats of test items. Teachers working with learning disabled children or children with attention problems may wish to choose standardized tests with fewer, rather than more, format changes. The present study evaluated the number of format and direction changes across tests and grade levels of the major elementary standardized reading achievement tests. The number of format changes varies from one change every 1.2 minutes on the Metropolitan Achievement Test Level E1 to one change every 21.3 minutes on the P1 level of the Stanford Achievement Test. Teachers may wish to take this evaluation into account when considering use of standardized reading achievement tests for their students.     

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.     

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.     

Factor analysis of WISC-R scores for children identified as learning disabled,educable mentally impaired,and emotionally impaired

The WISC-R scores for groups of children identified by school personnel as needing special education services were factor analyzed according to type of classification. WISC-R factor loadings were obtained for the scores of children labeled Learning Disabled, Educable Mentally Impaired, and Emotionally Impaired, as well as groups labeled Other and None. Overall, results show the WISC-R to be factorially similar for all groups, with two principal factors emerging which correspond to the Verbal-Performance structure of the test. Significance tests among mean scale scores and IQ scores yielded few meaningful differences across groups.