The legibility components (letter formation, spacing, alignment and size) and speed of handwriting were assessed for 575 children in grades 3 to 7. Interrater reliabilities were high (·69 to ·97) and test-retest reliability over one week was lower for legibility (·44 to ·84) than for speed (·93). In general, reliabilities were higher for the older children. Correlations among legibility components ranged from ·46 to •76, though a principal factor analysis indicated that letter formation, spacing, alignment and size were discriminable elements of legibility. Correlations of legibility component scores with teacher ratings ranged between ·52 and ·76. Norms for speed were consistent with Groff's data and girls wrote significantly faster and smaller than boys. Girls also made fewer errors in letter formation than boys in grades 3, 4 and 5. Graphs indicating normative performance on the handwriting tasks were prepared.

No abstract

This study investigated the attitudes of 354 Australian parents who have a child with a disability and who attends a state school in Queensland. The types of disability of the children were broadly in accordance with accepted prevalence figures, except for a greater number reported as having autistic spectrum disorder and fewer students with a learning difficulty/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The children were in a range of classes, from special schools to schools where there was in-class help from a special teacher or teacher aide. Many of the parents favoured inclusion, some would if additional resources were provided, and a small group of parents favoured special placement. There were a limited number of negative attitudes to inclusion reported by the parents, and though some parents thought that some need existed for in-service education about inclusion, this was not a widespread view.

This project reports on the characteristics of over 3000 children enrolled in Child ServiceDemonstration Centers for Learning Disabilities in 21 states. The major results o f the questionnaire study revealed that: (1) most of the children were in the lower elementary grades, (2) the sex ratio was three boys to one girl, (3) of the children enrolled, approximately trvothirds were rated as reading problems, (4) the median educational retardation w s one grade below the mental age reading grade expectancy, (5) the retardation in reading and spelling w s one-half grade more than the retardation in arithmetic, (6) the distribution of IQs contained a larger proportion with below average ability than is found in the general population of children, and (7) the resource room was the most commonly used method for the delivery of service. In general, children with learning disabilities are defined by most o f the Child Service Demonstration Centers to be those who are below grade in educational achievement, especially in reading. . However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the U.S. Office of Education, and no official endorsement by the U.S. Office of Education should be inferred.

No abstract