The Journal of Special Education

Learning style is defined, and the various elements of learning style are discussed in reviewing selected research regarding learner characteristics and learner performance. Procedures for identifying learning styles are described, and possible cultural influences on learning styles are noted. Practical guidelines for instructional placement are suggested, and areas calling for further research are outlined.

An analysis of the treatment of handicapped characters in dramatic literature may contribute to our knowledge of the historical treatment of and attitude toward handicapped persons in society. In this paper dramatic works that incorporate handicapped characters, from the time of the ancient Greeks to modern Broadway productions (approximately 2500 years) are reviewed. Included is a brief discussion of latter-day trends, the effect that the presentation of handicapped characters might have on theatre audiences, and the possible future of handicapped characters on stage.

Special education has criticized many norm-referenced tests for their lack of demonstrated reliability with exceptional populations. Current advocacy of using criterion-referenced tests with handicapped persons has failed to consider the lack of empirical data on their reliability. A review of alternative methodologies and a conceptual framework for the study of reliability of criterion-referenced tests are presented. The possibility of aptitude-x-assessment interactions is considered and implications are discussed.

The process of psychiatric diagnosis has recently undergone major revision with the appearance of DSM III. The present article is an effort to acquaint school personnel with the new system of multiaxial diagnoses in relation to existing special education categories. Use of DSM III in reference to special education categories is illustrated with data on 40 children admitted to a psychiatric hospital school.

Placement decisions regarding children with learning disabilities rest heavily on the assessment data generated by school psychologists and related psychological personnel. Critics contend that current tests do not accurately measure or predict learning and that large numbers of children continue to be incorrectly classified. This article delineates the training and competencies individuals should possess if they have primary responsibility for classification and placement decisions.

Considerable evidence suggests that the learning-disabilities (LD) category is primarily one of underachievement. The research reported here compared school-identified LD children with a group of low-achieving students (non-LD) not identified as LD. Both groups were administered a battery of psychoeducational tests and their performances were compared on all measures. While discriminant function analysis indicated 78.4% correct classification of the students, further analysis showed it would be impossible to discern classification on an individual basis. An analysis of the results indicated considerable similarities between the groups; in fact, an average of 96% of the scores were within a common range, and the performances of LD and low-achieving children on many subtests were identical. The findings could be interpreted to support either of two major conflicting viewpoints: (a) that schools are failing to identify many students who are in fact LD or (b) that too many non-LD students are labeled LD. This investigation demonstrates that as many as 40% of students may be misclassified. The implications of these results with regard to identification and placement practices are discussed.

Recent research has suggested that children with a moderate increase in body burden of lead, although clinically asymptomatic, may be subject to impaired mental development. This study investigated the relationship between low-level lead absorption and mild and borderline mental retardation, and evaluated the relationships among nutrient minerals, heavy metals, and increased lead burdens. Hair trace-mineral concentrations were compared in a group of retarded children with a non-retarded control group. The retarded group had significantly raised hair-lead concentrations. There were also differences in the mean levels of six nutrient minerals. Further, there were indications that lead and other toxic metals occur together in the retarded. It is concluded that continuing research is needed to study the relationship between retardation and lead burdens.

Three group-oriented contingency systems (interdependent, dependent, and independent) were compared in a modified reversal design to evaluate each system's effectiveness in controlling the disruptive behavior of a self-contained classroom of educable mentally retarded children. Interpendent and dependent group-contingency systems were more effective than independent contingencies in controlling disruptive behavior. Sequential ordering of contingency phases did not allow one to completely rule out carry-over effects; however, it was unlikely that the independent contingency phases were rendered ineffective due to their positioning in the treatment sequences. The roles of group cooperation, peer reinforcement, and informational feedback in the success of group-oriented contingency systems are discussed.

A new approach to educational intervention that establishes open communication and collaboration between medical and school personnel is required if the special needs of children with epilepsy are to be met. Seizures and anticonvulsant medications have an impact upon classroom performance, but the effect of learning and behavior problems associated with epilepsy is often more severe. Comprehensive managment of epilepsy demands treatment of both medical and educational problems. Lack of information regarding epilepsy, its management, and associated disorders, however, prevents teachers from providing appropriate educational interventions. An epilepsy training program for school personnel is proposed as necessary for a multidisciplinary approach to treatment of children with epilepsy.