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After it had been determined that reaction time (RT) was a sensitive measure of hemispheric dominance in a verbal task performed by normal adult readers, the reaction times of three groups of subjects (20 normal reading college students, 12 normal reading third graders and 11 poor reading grade school students) were compared. Ss were exposed to tachistoscopically presented slides with stimulus words across both visual fields and probe words presented to either the right or left visual fields. Both groups of normal readers exhibited superior right visual field RT while the poor readers failed to display such a superiority. Findings suggested that verbal RT may be a useful screening technique to identify potential problem readers. (Author/CL)

Discussed is an oral reading procedure for children with reading problems which assesses a reader's competency through an analysis of comprehension evidenced by meaningful versus non-meaningful alterations to the reading text. It is explained that this analysis indicates that the poor reader's needs frequently may be at the syntactic and semantic levels, rather than the word level. Examples are given of five narratives coded for type of textual alteration. Described are potential misplacements of readers in material below their conceptual needs because of word error rather than syntactic and semantic error counts. (CL)

Described is the Kirshner Saroj Visual Perception Speed Test (KSVPST), a measure of perceptual speed using pictures to identify children whose reading difficulties are due to visual processing deficiencies. It is explained that 323 children 6-13 years old were given the Keystone Visual Skills Test, the KSVPST, and reading readiness tests. Data are said to indicate that perceptual speed is significantly related to reading ability. The author suggests that visual training to increase perceptual speed should be considered as part of a total program for children with reading problems. Among seven appendixes is information on the validity and reliability of the KSVPST. (CL)

Verbal recall of bisensory memory tasks was compared among 48 9- to 12-year old boys in three groups: normal readers, primary deficit readers, and secondary deficit readers. Auditory and visual stimulus pairs composed of digits, which incorporated variations of intersensory and intrasensory conditions were administered to Ss through a Bell and Howell Language Master. Continuous monitoring of heart rate and Galvanic Skin Response was performed, and reading error types were analyzed. Results supported the validity of the reading classification system of R. Rabinovitch for differentiating groups of deficient readers. Recall performance was found to differ for visual information processing and sequential recall, with more errors for both observed in the secondary reading group. Findings were consistent with a hypothetical model based on attentional and cognitive factors important for visual and auditory processing in reading. (Author/CL)

Described is a music program for students with reading learning disabilites. It is explained that the program was designed to teach fundamental music skills, to teach visual/motor and auditory skills through music activities, and to evaluate the effect of music skill development on language reading skills. The daily routine of music exercises, including memory song games, rhythm exercises, singing activities and sequencing drills is reviewed. Student improvement in auditory, motor, visual, and social development is noted. (CL)

Oral reading errors of 10 learning disabled children (9-11 years old) were examined in order to describe the type of errors, the use of graphic, syntactic, and semantic information, and the implementation of correction strategies. Tape recordings were made of individual oral reading sessions, and errors were classified according to substitution, omission, insertion, reversal, and complex combination. Results indicated that Ss used graphic, syntactic, and semantic information for reading in a manner consistent with previous research findings on children with no reading difficulties. Findings suggested the possibility of using analysis of oral reading errors as a diagnostic tool for learning disabled students. (CL)

The persistence of learning disabilities to the junior school level indicates the need for a supplement to the regular school program, especially since junior high represents the last chance in most cases for public educational intervention. One-time development of a workable and transportable program model is therefore desirable. Personnel requirements, desirable facilities, relative costs, testing, rationale, and evaluation design are outlined and examples presented. The model employs a systems analysis approach beginning and ending with the mainstream educational process and proceeding through various stages of intervention with appropriate recycling and intermediate evaluation. (Author/RB)

The possibility that children with learning disabilities often have problems in social areas is evaluated. A study to determine the peer popularity of children classified as having learning disabilities is presented. An analysis of variance was computed for votes received on scales of social attraction and social rejection by learning-disabled and comparison children matched on variables of sex, race, and classroom. The results indicated that learning-disabled children, particularly white and female, were significantly less attractive and more rejected than comparison children. Alternative interpretations of these results are evaluated. (TO)

The purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview of the reasons why a model change for servicing children with specific learning needs was recommended for the St. Anthony Village-New Brighton School District, an overview of the Resource Unit model proposed, and a summary report of the Resource Units within a small district's elementary and secondary schools based on data acquired the first semester of the 1973-74 school year. The contents include "Historical Background,""Resource Unit Model Study,""State Guidelines and Reimbursement Patterns for Special Education Services,""Resource Teacher Working Model,""Building Resource Units,""Record Keeping-Forms,""Patterns of Service,""Number of Students Seen by Resource Unit Teachers," and "Considerations." (WR)

With increased awareness of the reading problems of college students, more attention in recent years has been focused on dyslexia. No reliable figures exist on the occurrence of dyslexia among college students, but 10 percent is a representative estimate among elementary students; hence there would logically be fewer dyslexic college students. However, colleges should be prepared to see more and more dyslexic students in the next few years because of the increase in special education classes in the public schools. For the diagnosed dyslexic student, the teacher of composition should have some concrete methods available to help improve reading and composition skills. The situation is even more critical for the undiagnosed learning-disabled student. College teachers, and especially freshman English instructors, must learn to recognize and provide help for students with dyslexia. (RB)

Reviewed in this paper are some of the aspects of Australian practices and research activities in learning disabilities conducted over the past decade. Special emphasis is given to the diagnosis and treatment of children with severe reading problems. The influence of instruments such as the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities on the pattern of clinical and classroom practices in Australian education is traced. An approach which recognizes the interaction of aptitudes and teaching strategy is suggested as perhaps being the most efficient. Also suggested is that legislative or administrative convenience may not best serve children with learning disabilities and that teachers need training to understand both the learning process and the characteristics of exceptional children. (Author/WR)

The author reviews attempts to categorize reading disabilities, describes a means of refining testing procedures to classify three diagnostic patterns of reading disorder, and reports results of application of those procedures with 172 children with reading disorders. Studies classifying poor readers by a verbal-performance pattern analysis of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children and multifactorial studies of etiological factors are discussed. Described is a procedure which uses the Minnesota Percepto-Diagnostic Test (MPD) to assess visual perception and visual motor abilities and which classifies children's reading problems as primary, secondary or organic and children with behavioral problems as emotionally disturbed, schizophrenic, or brain damaged. Specific behavioral characteristics (as manifested in performance on five standardized tests of reading and cognitive development) are analyzed for 172 Ss to show that children differentiated into reading disability subgroups by the MPD (on the basis of visual perception). Characteristics noted include the primary group's high average performance IQ, the secondary group's low average scores on the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities, and the organic group's low scores on laterality tests. Findings are compared to those of similar studies. (LS)

Reported are results of screening over 1,000 eighth or ninth grade students for learning disabilities, and suggested is an intervention program utilizing available local resources. The Currie-Milonas Screening Test is described as consisting of eight subtests to identify problems in the basic skills of reading, writing, language, or mathematics. Results indicated that 19.8 percent of eighth graders, 18.1 percent of ninth graders, and 28 percent vocational education ninth graders were reading at the fourth grade level or below. Proposed is an intervention program involving classroom teachers, reading teachers, remedial reading specialists, remedial math specialists, learning disabilities specialists, supplemental clinical tutorial services, or referral to special day or residential schools. (Author/DB)

Dyslexia is defined as a learning disability or a dysfunction in the psychological processes involved in using spoken or written language, including reading, writing, spelling, speaking, and/or mathematics. It does not include disorders due to mental retardation, visual, auditory or motor handicaps, emotional or physical problems. The author relates her own experiences in identifying and dealing with various forms of dyslexia at the Orton Reading Center at Salem College in North Carolina. (LL)

The author, a neurologist, looks at the nature of reading disabilities. He suggests that many reading disabilities are the result of normal constitutional differences and that the term "minimal brain dysfunction" is rarely appropriate and does not help the remediation process. Noted are various theories which relate neurology and reading ability. (DB)

This paper discusses the current confusion in differentiating between reading disabilities and learning disabilities, as well as the role of the learning and reading specialist. The origin and history of the movement toward helping children labeled as having a reading or learning handicap are examined, and various definitions are discussed. It is concluded that the definition of learning disabilities is related to cerebral dysfunction and similar problems, and the definition of reading disabilities is related to educational, mental, social, and emotional problems. For the classroom teacher, however, such a distinction is still too vague and in many cases too impractical to serve as a guide for remediation. (TS)

This paper explores the characteristics and problems many language learning disabled (LLD) and dyslexic students have in college and suggests ways for college English composition teachers to help them. LLD students are often poor spellers and their handwriting looks like that of a younger child. Constant difficulty with certain grammatical transformations may also be clues of language learning disability. LLD students may have trouble with reading and may be incapable of getting meaning from certain words. Many LLD students also have problems in decoding the oral language and in communicating their own thoughts orally. Characteristics of the causes and conditions for dyslexia are discussed and three suggestions are offered for picking up clues about students who may be disabled. The teacher should first find out what LLD students need and what they have to offer and then find out how they can work with their fellow students most beneficially. Visual materials, rather than oral or written assignments, are suggested as being particularly effective for LLD students. (TS)

This silver anniversary issue contains papers from the World Congress on Dyslexia held in November 1974, as well as two case studies and reviews of books related to the study, treatment, or prevention of problems of specific language disability. Papers include discussions of 50 years of experience with dyslexia; prediction and prevention of reading disability; tutorial and group instruction in a hospital language-research unit; cluttering and stuttering; the marginally ready child; early speech and language problems; predictive antecedents of specific reading disability; dichotic listening with related tasks for dyslexics; a follow-up study of 216 dyslexic children; case studies of two dyslexic girls; and discussions of the life and work of Samuel T. Orton. (AA)

The paper discusses research on cognitive processing of disabled readers (mean age 9 years) within a brain-behavior framework and offers some projections into the future. The author focuses on children with severe reading disablility or reading retardation although reference to "backward" readers is also included. The delineation of subgroups of disabled readers, the explication of perceptual versus verbal deficits in these children, and especially differential remediation are seen as necessary continuing tasks for the years ahead. (Author/SBH)

A recategorization system developed by Bannatyne to categorize subtest scatter from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) is used as an alternative to isolated analysis of each individual subtest. Reading disabled, learning disabled, and educable mentally handicapped students are categorized according to their performance in four areas: spatial, conceptual, sequential, and acquired knowledge. This study examined the utility of the Bannatyne recategorization system in discriminating among three groups of fourth through sixth grade handicapped students, using a stepwise discriminant functions analysis on the subtest scaled scores from the WISC-R for 294 learning disabled (LD), 36 educable mentally retarded (EMR), and 71 emotionally disturbed (ED) students. The results revealed that 100% of the EMR and ED students were predicted to be labeled LD on the basis of this recategorization, while 99.7% of the LD students were predicted to be LD. (These finding are examined in relation to the use of alternative statistical methods and different diagnostic procedures to identify and classify students). (Author/GDC)

Investigated with four children in grade 4 were the effects of teacher praise notes and parental support on Ss' reading achievement and on the relationship between the regular class teacher and the special education consultant or resource teacher. Results indicated that academic performance can be improved through the use of consistent teacher-written praise. The contribution of parental involvement toward improved performance was also demonstrated. Additionally, the ability of this type of program to build relationships and change attitudes of regular classroom teachers and administrators toward supportive intervention and behavior management programs was informally demonstrated. (IM)

The dichotic listening paradigm in relation to specific reading disability was investigated with 58 severely disabled readers and 58 above-average readers (all 9-year-old males). Comparison of scores from a Dichotic Digits Task and Dichotic Sides and Types Tasks indicated that disabled readers performed worse than controls in the overall right-ear effect, and demonstrated the ineffective use of strategies by disabled readers when they were specifically instructed to report dichotic materials by sides (left/right ear) and types (digits/letters of the alphabet) of stimuli. The concept of reading disability as retardation in the acquisition of skills rather than the loss of abilities was supported. (IM)

Current issues in reading diagnosis and remediation may be classified as political, diagnostic, and remedial. The main political issue in recent years has been the overlapping of the concepts of learning disability and reading disability and the consequent conflict of jurisdiction of reading specialists and learning disability specialists. This overlapping may be solved if new, federally proposed criteria for identifying learning disabilities are adopted. Current diagnostic trends involve the search for deviant brain functioning as a cause of reading disability. With regard to dianostic procedures, there is fairly general agreement that the reading specialist should concentrate on analysis of a child's reading and closely related skills and should refer the minority of nonresponding cases to multidisciplinary centers or clinics for more detailed study. Remedial procedures include the use of behavior modification, many of the principles of which have been practiced by remedial teachers for many years. Probably the main current issue in remedial teaching is how best to use the reading specialist's time: gradually, the reading specialist is spending more time as a consultant and supervisor and less time in direct teaching. (GW)