Augmentative communicators are perceived to have difficulty with reading and writing. This research investigates the effect of increased opportunity to communicate via telecommunications on the reading and writing of adult augmentative communicators who are severely disabled. Two case studies were conducted utilizing a single subject, repeated measure design. The subject of each case study participated in on-line interactive Blissymbol telecommunications sessions with a speaking partner for nine hours per week over ten months. Reading and language tests were administered at two month intervals. Written transcripts of on-line conversations were collected and coded according to macro and micro language functions. Following the increased opportunity to communicate via telecommunications, case study two paralleled the results found in case study one displaying increased reading ability as demonstrated by the upward trends on the multiple reading measures utilized. Case study two also corroborated case study one in the written communication as demonstrated by the increased use of complex language functions, initiations, and response to statements. The findings suggest that providing augmentative communicators with meaningful and functional reading, writing, and 'speaking' opportunities, similar to those provided with the telecommunications opportunity in this research, will have a positive effect on reading and writing.

The purpose of this study was to identify the differences in the reading behaviors of subgroups of learning disabled children and of normal children.The null hypothesis tested in this study explored differences in the performances of learning disabled subgroups and normal children in the following areas: graphic similarity, sound similarity, grammatical function, comprehension pattern, grammatical relationships and retelling score. These areas were measured by the use of the Reading; Miscue Inventory and the Analytical Reading Inventory.Ninety students were chosen to participate in the study. Fifty-eight learning disabled students were classified either Learning Disabled - No Discrepancy or Learning Disabled - Discrepancy according to scores obtained on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Revised. Thirty-two average students were chosen by a teacher questionnaire.Multivariate analysis of variance was used to assess between group differences. Since the null hypothesis was rejected, pest hoc pairwise comparisons were conducted tc determine which pairs of means were responsible for the overall rejection. Only the difference in the Sound Similarity measure for the normal group and the LD-N subgroup emerged as clearly contributing to that rejection. Although the Retelling measure was also found to contribute significantly, this difference was not explained by any of the pairwise comparisons.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mixed eye-hand dominance and letter/word reversals in learning disabled and normal readers. Previous research had shown links between mixed dominance and reading disabilities, especially those disabilities related to visuo-spatial deficits. However, due to the different approaches to conceptualizing lateral preferences, the wide variety of methods used to assess laterality, and the heterogeneity of subjects exhibiting reading disabilities, many studies have been contradictory and inconclusive. This study was designed to: assess laterality on a continuum, investigate the specific area of mixed eye-hand dominance, and determine if there is a statistically significant relationship between the degree of mixed dominance and the specific reading problem of letter and word reversals.The research sample consisted of 53 learning disabled males and 44 males from regular education classrooms, randomly selected from a public school system in northern Indiana. Mixed eye-hand dominance was assessed by the General Laterality Factor and the Visual Activities Factor of the Lateral Preference Schedule. The degree of letter/word reversal difficulty was-determined by the Jordan Left-Right Reversal Test. Each subject was administered both instruments either individually or in small groups.The data was analyzed for statistical significance by computing Pearson product moment correlation coefficients. To compare the learning disabled readers and normal readers for significant differences in age and the degree of mixed eye-hand dominance, t tests were conducted. Two research questions were then addressed by examining the findings:Research Question #1: Is there a statistically significant relationship between mixed eye-hand dominance and letter/word reversal errors in learning disabled and normal readers? A statistically significant difference was found between the degree of mixed eye-hand dominance and reversal errors in the learning disabled group. No other statistically significant relationships were found.Research Question #2: Is there a greater degree of mixed eye-hand dominance in learning disabled students than in normal readers? There were no statistically significant differences between learning disabled and normal readers in the degree of mixed eye-hand dominance.It was concluded that there were no statistically significant relationships between mixed eye-hand dominance and reversal errors in normal readers or when groups of normal readers and learning disabled students were combined. There was, however, a statistically significant positive relationship between mixed dominance and reversal errors when learning disabled students were grouped separately. The greater the degree of mixed eye-hand dominance, the higher the reversal error score in learning disabled students.Attempts to develop more sensitive and reliable instruments to assess lateral preferences and specific reading problems were recommended. Additionally, studies investigating the relationship between lateral preferences and reading performance should continue. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this investigation was to determine effectiveness of teaching to the learning modality preference of poor readers classified as visual or auditory learners at the beginning of second grade.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 174-199).

Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1998. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2002. / Bibliography: leaves 109-131.

Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1998. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Louisville, 2009. / Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Vita. "May 2009." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-116).

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