The degree to which teachers' perceptions of a student can be distorted by characteristics indigenous to teachers, as well as students, were investigated to determine whether teachers would initiate a referral for special education. Sixty‐five teachers volunteered for participation. Twenty‐seven of them were experienced, having had their own classrooms in a public school. Thirty‐eight were preservice student teachers who had not yet had their own classrooms. Teachers were evaluated to have had either an internal or external locus of control and were judged to have had either a high or low opinion of self according to either of two separate scales. After viewing two video tapes of two elementary‐aged students (one student was severely emotionally disturbed [SED] and the other non‐SED), teachers rated the children on several child characteristics and referral questions. Results revealed that the locus of control and self‐esteem of teachers, in conjunction with teaching experience and a child's characteristics, can predict teachers' inclinations to refer children. Findings point to the need to place greater care in the initiation of referrals. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Performance differences on receptive vocabulary and general verbal reasoning ability of Hualapai Indians as compared to national norms were investigated. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised and the Verbal portion of the Cognitive Abilities Test, Form 4 were administered to 206 Hualapai Indian children ranging in age from 5 years, 3 months to 15 years, 7 months. Their performance was compared at each grade level to the national norms for these measures. Results indicated that Hualapai children score significantly lower on both measures of verbal ability when compared to national samples. Results provide alongneeded archival record of the English language proficiency of the Hualapai, and support the notion of homogeneity of English language facility across American Indian tribes. Contributing factors to Hualapai and other Native American populations' weaker performance on measures of verbal ability are discussed.

Various cognitive processes associated with the frontal lobes and their influence upon learning and learning disorders in children were investigated. Subjects were 29 7- to 12-yr.-old boys and girls. Analysis of variance suggested that, as a group, the learning-disabled children scored lower on tasks with a high demand for selective attention, ability to inhibit interference, sequential reasoning, and integration and organization of new information--cognitive functions commonly attributed to the frontal lobes. The relationship of these cognitive functions to acquisition of basic academic skills is discussed.

Performance differences on receptive vocabulary and general verbal reasoning ability of Hualapai Indians as compared to national norms were investigated. The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test Revised and the Verbal portion of the Cognitive Abilities Test, Form 4 were administered to 206 Hualapai Indian children ranging in age from 5 years, 3 months to 15 years, 7 months. Their performance was compared at each grade level to the national norms for these measures. Results indicated that Hualapai children score significantly lower on both measures of verbal ability when compared to national samples. Results provide a long‐needed archival record of the English language proficiency of the Hualapai, and support the notion of homogeneity of English language facility across American Indian tribes. Contributing factors to Hualapai and other Native American populations' weaker performance on measures of verbal ability are discussed.