Barbara W. Gottlieb

Special Education in Urban America It's not Justifiable for Many

We review current practices in urban school districts related to referral and placement of academically low-functioning children in special education. Data we have collected over a 10-year period indicate that todays child with learning disabilities functions very similarly to the way students with educable mental retardation performed 25 years ago. We discuss the characteristics and needs of inner-city special education youngsters and the difficult options facing school administrators.

Interaction of Somatostatin, Glucagon, and Insulin on Hepatic Glucose Output in the Normal Dog

The interaction of insulin and glucagon during infusion of somatostatin (SRIF), which suppresses secretion of these hormones, was investigated in normal, postabsorptive, concious dogs. Hepatic glucose output (production) and over-all glucose uptake by the tissues was measured with 3-3H-glucose, administered by a priming injection along with a constant infusion. Infusion of SRIF (1.5–5.0 μg/min) for 90 minutes resulted in a moderate hypoglycemia associated with a decrease in glucose production. In some animals glucose production and plasma glucose levels returned to normal before the end of SRIF infusion. Glucose uptake tended to follow plasma glucose levels. Upon termination of SRIF infusion, glucose production and uptake and plasma glucose increased sharply. Infusion of glucagon (1 μg./kg./hr.) along with SRIF (3.3 μg./min.) caused an exaggerated increase in glucose production and hyperglycemia over that of glucagon infusion alone. Infusion of a smaller dose of glucagon (0.2 μg./kg./hr.) for two hours produced only small increases in plasma glucose and glucose production; addition of SRIF during the third hour caused a significant increase in glucose production and plasma glucose. Addition of insulin (0.03 U./kg./hr.) to the glucagon infusion had little effect. However the further addition of SRIF failed to produce the marked increase in glucose production and hyperglycemia seen with glucagon-SRIF infusion. It is concluded that acute insulin deficiency produced during SRIF infusion makes the liver more sensitive to the effects of glucagon and that the response of the liver to glucagon and other hyperglycemic agents may be modulated by insulin.

Parent and Teacher Referrals for a Psychoeducational Evaluation

The school records of 439 pupils who had been referred for special education evaluation were studied. Of the pupils, 328 were referred by teachers and 111 by parents. Results indicated that both parents and teachers referred primarily for academic reasons, but parents did so more often, and that parents referred higher functioning pupils than teachers referred. Data also indicated that white parents were more likely than minority parents to refer their children, but that teachers were more likely to refer minority pupils.

Sociometric Status and Solitary Play of LD Boys and Girls

This investigation compared the sociometric status of learning disabled (LD) and non-learning disabled (NLD) boys and girls as well as their actual play during unsupervised free-time activities. Results indicated that the lower sociometric status of LD children was attributable to same-sex rejections of girls. The data also indicated that LD children tended to play alone significantly more often than NLD peers. The results were interpreted as highlighting the need to examine gender effects in subsequent research on social aspects of learning disabilities.

Use of Incentive Structure in Mainstream Classes

Abstract The incentive structures existing in 22 mainstream classes enrolling 31 triads of students labeled as low achieving, average achieving, and learning disabled (LD) were observed on 10 occasions. Results indicated that incentive structures were composed of two components, which were labeled academic engagement and behavioral management. Also, students labeled as LD engaged in intermediate amounts of content-related processes relative to students labeled as low and average achievers, but teachers engaged in more behavioral management with students labeled as LD than with either of the other two groups. The data are discussed in terms of different patterns of behavior among students labeled as LD and low achieving and their implications for classification of children for special education.

Effect of isoproterenol on glucose turnover and insulin secretion in the normal dog.

Abstract Infusion of epinephrine in the dog causes a sustained hyperglycemia without increasing plasma insulin, whereas infusion of isoproterenol causes a transient hyperglecemia and increased plasma insulin. To investigate the basis for these differences, rates of hepatic glucose production and overall glucose uptake were determined using a primer-constant infusion of [3- 3 H]glucose in normal dogs, and these were correlated with plasma insulin levels. Infusion of epinephrine (0.2 μg/kg/min) for 3 hr caused a prompt and persistent hyperglycemia. Concomitantly glucose production was increased but returned to normal by 90 min. Plasma insulin and glucose uptake did not increase. Isoproterenol infusion (0.2 μg/kg/min) for 3 hr caused a transient hyperglycemia. Glucose production and uptake were increased during the entire period. Plasma insulin was also elevated. The transient hyperglycemic response to isoproterenol, therefore, is not due to inadequate glucose production. Infusion of the beta-adrenergic blocker, propranolol, prevented the hyperglycemia and increased hepatic glucose production normally produced by isoproterenol.

Effects of Relative Competence on Learning Disabled Children's Oral Reading Performance.

The effect of social facilitation, particularly the impact of perceived evaluation and relative competence of handicapped learners, was tested to determine its efficacy in predicting 26 learning disabled childrens oral reading performance. Two conditions reflected the competence variable: low relative competence and similar relative competence. The dependent measure was number of oral reading errors. Results revealed a significant main effect, indicating that children who read with similar-ability peers performed significantly better than when they read with peers of superior ability. Results are discussed in relation to mainstreaming decisions and homogeneous groupings of students for direct academic instruction.

Low- and High-IQ Learning Disabled Children in the Mainstream.

Nine low-IQ (<80) and 12 high-IQ (100+) children who had been classified by the schools as learning disabled (LD) and who attended resource room programs were observed during their participation in regular classes. Data were collected on teachers perceptions of the LD children, teachers behavior toward the children, and on the childrens academic achievement. Results indicated that teachers did not perceive the two groups of LD children differently but that the teachers behaved differently toward the two groups. Finally, the high-IQ children gained significantly more than the low-IQ children in reading achievement.