A total of 60 school psychologists and educational diagnosticians across Texas completed a survey to identify the instruments used to screen and diagnose learning disabled (LD) students, and to identify the criteria on which the final diagnosis and placement of LD or non-LD is made. The results of this survey indicate that consistent methods and criteria are not being used for identifying children as LD within the state. Many of the instruments currently used may not be technically adequate for use with a LD population. Implications of the use of inconsistent criteria, inadequate screening and assessment measures are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive tempo of learning disabled students and their listening comprehension ability as a function of rate of presentation, regardless of material content (i.e., taped narrative materials--leisure: high interest/low vocabulary; taped expository materials--factual/social studies and technical/science. These data were collected on 57 learning disabled students enrolled in the fourth, fifth, and sixth grades in the Anderson Community Schools Special Education Co-op. Each student was tested with the Matching Familiar Figures Test (Kagan et al., 1964). Three groups of the four cognitive tempo quadrants were utilized in the experimental manipulation (i.e., listening comprehension as a function of rate of presentation, regardless of material content). Fifteen subjects were randomly assigned within each group using a drawing with replacement procedure.A 3 x 3 x 4 analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducive to the manipulation of three independent variables with repeated measures on the latter two of these variables (i.e., material content and rate of presentation). One between groups analysis (3x) and two within groups analysis (3 x 4) were involved. A R<.05 significance level and error analysis wereemployed to test three null hypotheses.FindingsResults indicated that no significant differences existed between the three groups of subjects (i.e., impulsive, reflective, fast/accurate). However, significant differences existed between content levels and between the four rates of presentation. A significant interaction between groups and rates of presentation was observed. An analysis of simple effects revealed that significant differences existed for reflectives with respect to content and rates of presentation. A significant difference between content levels was present for impulsives, while a significant difference between rates was present for fast/accurates. With the three content levels, no significant difference between groups was found. However, with all groups combined, a significant difference between rates occurred at each content level. A significant difference between groups and between content levels was determined at the 1.0 rate of presentation. At the 1.5 rate of presentation, a significant difference existed between content levels only.In addition to a significant difference between groups at the normal rate of presentation (i.e., 1.0), all groups performed best at this rate, although the impulsive group performed less well than the other two. The narrative content level elicited the best performance from all three groups, with the impulsives again demonstrating the poorest performance. Age ranges were also evaluated revealing that the oldest group (11.6 - 12.6 years) maintained the highest scores.ConclusionsIn general, the results of this study did not support the contention that increased rates of presentation would improve listening comprehension ability among learning disabled students. It was revealing to note the consistently poorer performance of the impulsive subjects on all tasks. This finding supported research which suggested that impulsive tempo is one factor contributing to poor school performance (Messer, 1976b). The study also provided evidence that the visual processing strategies underlying differences in conceptual tempo seem to generalize to the recall of auditory materials as posited by Zelniker and Jeffrey (1976). It was their suggestion that training in task-appropriate strategies may be more effective with learning disabled students than the modification of cognitive styles.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Nov. 12, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-90).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 50-55).

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2009. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 187 p. : ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 158-166).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2002. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 139-150). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users. Address: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/uoregon/fullcit?p3045090.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2000. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 205-215). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2000. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-176). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-93).