Henry B. Reiff

Identifying Alterable Patterns in Employment Success for Highly Successful Adults with Learning Disabilities

Adults with learning disabilities were studied to ascertain the patterns of successful functioning that promoted high levels of vocational success. This area of research has been neglected in the developing research base on adults with learning disabilities. In this study of 46 highly successful and 25 moderately successful adults with learning disabilities using ethnographic interviews, it was found that the overriding theme was control and that control was sought through the pursuit of two sets of themes---internal decisions and external manifestations. These themes transcended the entire sample, and the clear difference between the groups was the degree of attainment on the various elements the themes comprised. These elements and themes are discussed and a model of successful vocational functioning is developed and explained.

The Relation of LD and Gender with Emotional Intelligence in College Students

This study examined the relation of learning disabilities (LD) and gender with emotional intelligence in 128 college students. Fifty-four students with LD (32 men and 22 women) and 74 without LD (34 men and 40 women) attending two colleges and one university participated in the study. Emotional intelligence was assessed using the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i; BarOn,1997), a self-report instrument designed to measure interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, stress management, adaptability, and general mood. A 2-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed to examine the main effects of LD and gender and the interaction of the two main effects on the five composites of the EQ-i. Students with LD had fewer credits and lower scholastic aptitude test (SAT) scores, high school grade point averages (GPAs), and college GPAs than students without LD; women students were older and had higher college GPAs than men students. Results of the MANOVA indicated significant main effects of both LD and gender; no significant interaction occurred. Post hoc univariate analyses of the five composites revealed significant differences between students with LD and students without LD on stress management and adaptability, significant differences between men and women students on interpersonal skills, and significant differences of the interaction of LD and gender on interpersonal skills.

Reframing the Learning Disabilities Experience

Reframing the learning disabilities experience has been identified by researchers as a key variable in employment success and adjustment in adulthood. This article provides a discussion of theory, related literature, methods, and techniques related to the process of reframing — from recognition, to understanding, to acceptance of the learning disability, to the development of a plan of action. We argue that successful reframing is imperative if one is to take control of his or her learning disability in adult life. It is also necessary for the development and implementation of self-advocacy skills.

Experiences of Adults with Learning Disabilities: Positive and Negative Impacts and Outcomes

This study examined the life experiences of 14 adults with learning disabilities identified tnrough current psychometric assessments. Based on two ethnographic interviews with each of the participants, the study explored both positive and negative impacts and outcomes of living with learning disabilities in adulthood. Positive impact issues addressed the idea of becoming a better and stronger person, a resilience attributable to living with learning disabilities. Negative impacts of learning disabilities included difficulties in daily living, the impostor phenomenon, social isolation, and damage to emotional health. Implications for teaching students with disabilities are discussed.

New Perspectives on Teaching From Successful Adults with Learning Disabilities

The experiences of adults with learning disabilities who have found success in employment may provide new perspectives about teaching students with learning disabilities. A qualitative research project with 71 successful adults with learning disabilities indicates that their individual achievements share a number of commonalities. Moreover, these commonalities represent skills and processes that can be taught and learned. This article presents a model of vocational success developed from interviews with the 71 subjects. The authors discuss methods so that practitioners may use the model to help students with learning disabilities inculcate behaviors that will facilitate successful adult adjustment. Instructional approaches that teach these skills and processes will embrace a success rather than deficit model, a focus on strengths rather than a preoccupation with weaknesses.

Definitions of Learning Disabilities from Adults with Learning Disabilities: The Insiders' Perspectives

Definitions of learning disabilities typically include the perspectives of professionals from educational, psychological, medical, and sociopolitical fields. Decision-makers in learning disabilities have rarely solicited the views of an important population of individuals who live with this label, adults with learning disabilities. This article presents responses from a sample of successful adults with learning disabilities who were asked to define the term learning disabilities. In addition to a number of constructs found in many existing definitions, responses include perceptions and conceptualizations that are only available from first-hand experience of living with learning disabilities into the adult years. Even when these perceptions evidence technical inaccuracies, their personal nature offers important insights into the effects of learning disabilities throughout the lifespan. Future attempts to arrive at a uniform definition of learning disabilities, especially in adulthood, should include or at least consider input from adults with learning disabilities.

Cognitive Correlates of Social Perception in Students with Learning Disabilities

In investigating possible explanations for social skills deficits in students with learning disabilities, researchers have examined social perception —the interpretation of behavior in order to understand the thoughts and feelings of others. This study specifically examined cognitive correlates of social perception in individuals with learning disabilities. Thirty-two students with learning disabilities in elementary grades were measured on three sub tests (Comprehension, Picture Arrangement, and Digit Span) of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised and on the Profile of Nonverbal Sensitivity. Both Picture Arrangement and Comprehension seemed to have an inherent relation to social perceptual functioning. Implications of these results are discussed.

Transition for Youths with Learning Disabilities: A Focus on Developing Independence.

Youths with learning disabilities encounter more difficulty in making a successful transition to employment and independence than their nondisabled peers. Consequently, they can benefit from implementation of recent federal legislation and the accompanying requirements for transition planning and services. Of particular value for youths with learning disabilities is the philosophy underlying these legislative initiatives of self-determination for individuals with disabilities. For youths with learning disabilities to realize these benefits, education and post-secondary service professionals must confront the myths that have previously driven services. This article examines the history of transition policy and legislation, current post-secondary outcome experiences, and transition planning services to improve outcomes for youths with learning disabilities.

Instructional strategies for long-term success.

Through a qualitative research study we developed a model of employment success based on the experiences of successful adults with learning disabilities. This model may be particularly useful to students with learning disabilities in helping them experience success both in school and beyond. We suggest that the components of the model—internal decisions comprising desire, goal orientation, and reframing, and external manifestations or behaviors of persistence, goodness of fit, learned creativity, and favorable social ecologies—can be systematically taught and then used. By focusing on what has worked for adults with learning disabilities, we propose that the model taps into inherent strengths that can compensate for significant limitations associated with learning disabilities. The model does not guarantee success, but it does equip students with learning disabilities with a readiness to capitalize on opportunities that they might otherwise miss.

The Documentation Dilemma: Access and Accommodations for Postsecondary Students with Learning Disabilities

Seventy-three disability service providers representing colleges and universities across the United States completed an informal, online survey focusing on institutional guidelines for documentation of learning disabilities. Most institutions reported having documentation guidelines that were adapted from those published by the Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD). However, respondents indicated that documentation is most often rejected because it is not current and does not meet other institutional guidelines. When making accommodation decisions, respondents reported using a combination of sources including recommendations in the documentation, professional judgment, and discussion with students. Such information should help secondary school personnel, disability service providers, and consumers understand the critical role that documentation plays in the process used by colleges and universities to make eligibility and accommodation decisions.