Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed and thoroughly researched disorders of childhood; however, little is known about ADHD in the school setting. We examined demographic data, disability categories, placement, academic achievement, and educational treatment of children clinically diagnosed as having ADHD among a group of 14,229 students in a public school district. Of 136 students with ADHD, over half ( n = 77) were receiving special education services: Forty were identified as behaviorally disordered, 22 as learning disabled, 7 as mildly mentally retarded, 1 as other health impaired, and 1 as orthopedically handicapped. The most common special education placement for students with ADHD was the general education classroom plus resource support ( n = 50). Mathematics and reading achievement scores varied greatly. Over 90% of the students with ADHD were taking medication. Behavior modification, consultation, one-to-one instruction, and modified assignment format were used significantly more often with students with ADHD who were receiving special education services than students with ADHD who were not receiving special education services. Implications for research and practice are presented.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has generated a great deal of interest recently among the special education profession. Various groups have advocated making ADHD a separate disability category under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. As a result, children with this disorder would be eligible for special education services. Proponents argue that at least 50% of students with ADHD currently are not receiving special education services they require under existing categories. The argument for considering ADHD as a disability category rests on the assumption that it is a valid psychiatric disorder and is characterized by academic difficulties. We challenge the validity of these assumptions and examine social and cultural factors we believe fuel the perceived need for ADHD as a new disability category.
This study analyzed the instructional reading methods and reading assessment practices employed by K-12 special education teachers. Eight hundred special education teachers from four Midwestern states were surveyed regarding the frequency of use and usefulness of standardized and informal reading assessment practices and the frequency with which they used various reading instructional techniques. Responses were analyzed to determine percent of teachers employing each technique and the mean rating of usefulness assigned to each. Analysis included examination of the relationships between grade levels and instructional settings and teachers' preferences for reading instructional and assessment practices. The survey found that reading assessment practices present in the literature are not commonly used by special education teachers.
Administrators of programs for children with communicative disorders in 11 midwestern states were surveyed to assess trends in the training and utilization of paraprofessionals. Topics included: (a) current trends in employment, (b) paraprofessional training, (c) use of ASHA and state guidelines, and (d) district policies for supervision. Selection criteria, use of job descriptions, training programs, and supervision practices and policies were examined. Results indicate that paraprofessionals are used but that standards for training and supervision are not consistently applied across all programs. Program administrators report minimal training for supervising professionals.
A considerable body of literature has accumulated that examines patterns of substance use and abuse among adolescents attending general education classes. However, much less information exists on the prevalence and predictors of substance use among adolescents with learning disabilities. One purpose of this study was to determine the comparative prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use among a sample of 123 students with learning disabilities (91 male and 32 female, mean age = 14.37 years) and 138 nondisabled students (77 male and 61 female, mean age = 13.71 years). A second purpose was to determine whether two psychosocial variables (self-esteem and type of behavior problem) or severity of drinking problem best predicted use of tobacco and marijuana. Students were administered the Self-Esteem Inventory (SEI)-School form (Coopersmith, 1987) and the Adolescent Drinking Index (ADI) (Harrell & Wirtz, 1989); their teachers completed the Revised Behavior Problem Checklist (RBPC) (Quay & Peterson, 1987). Tobacco and marijuana use were proportionally higher for adolescents with learning disabilities; no differences emerged for alcohol use between groups. A discriminant function analysis revealed that scores on the SEI and subscale scores of the RBPC did not reliably predict tobacco or marijuana use for either group. ADI scores were reliable predictors of marijuana use for students with learning disabilities and tobacco use for both groups.
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