James A. McLoughlin

Issues Facing the Resource Teacher

A survey of resource teachers identified priority problems and concerns in the following order: policy and procedures, attitude, time, materials, and instructional skills. Type of class taught (LD or EMH), teaching level, teaching experience, and teaching background influenced how teachers perceived certain problems. These professionals overwhelmingly pointed to the school district as the most likely agency to help them solve the noted problems. Implications for policy examination, resource allocation, and inservice training are discussed.

A Comparison of Parent-Child Perceptions of Student Learning Disablities

The perceptions of 80 learning disabled(LD) adolescents and their parents were compared in regard to the extent of their learning disablities, current levels of performance in academic and social areas, occupational status, social relationships, and problem academic cognitive, and social aspects of learning disablities persisted into adolescence with parents expressing much more concern about this negative impact. While the LD adolescents saw their skills as generally similar to those of other, parent ratings were significantly. According to the parents, their children were not likely to gradute from lower estimation of their childrens social and problem solving skills. Reasons for these difference of opinion are discussed, and implications for improved parent-child communication, parent training, and family counseling are identified.

Defining Learning Disabilities A New and Cooperative Direction

A new definition of learning disabilities presented by the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities emphasizes the severity and heterogeneity of learning disabilities. It redirects the fields attention to the internal nature of learning disabilities, but eliminates exclusive focus on psychological processing disorders contained in former definitions. A direct causal relationship of learning disabilities to other handicapping conditions or environmental influences is denied. The cognitive, linguistic, and academic nature of learning disabilities is stressed.

A Reference for Judging the Quality of Publications in Special Education and Related Services Journals.

A survey was conducted to determine selected characteristics of special education and related services journals. The results of the survey can be used as a reference by authors choosing journals for submissions of manuscripts and decision-makers at institutions of higher education when evaluating the quality of articles for review purposes. The pros and cons of using factors in this reference and others for annual performance reviews and tenure and promotion decisions are discussed.

Advocacy for Parents of the Handicapped: A Professional Responsibility and Challenge

PL 94–142 and research on parent involvement encourage new parent roles in programs for their handicapped children. A high level of parental participation requires that professionals become active advocates for parents. In addition to a specific set of behaviors, such advocacy also encompasses cognitive awareness and moral commitment. This article describes behaviorally an advocacy approach. There are two dimensions to parent advocacy, internal and external. The external type involves strategies for individuals outside the institution or system, e.g., demonstrations. The internal kind of advocacy accounts for the special educator working within a school system or agency. In this article a distinction will be made between external and internal parent advocacy, as well as illustrations of how internal advocacy is appropriate for special educators. Specific suggestions for parent advocacy are included.

Allergies and Learning Disabilities

Numerous connections between allergies and learning disabilities have been made in the popular press and other media directed to parents of the learning disabled. This article briefly traces the reasons for this association and critically analyzes existing research of such factors as school underachievement and learning problems, listening and hearing problems, absenteeism, and social-emotional disorders. Results of a comparison of group achievement scores, school attendance records, and medical symptoms of allergic and nonallergic students with and without learning disabilities raise serious questions about the purported relationship between allergies and learning problems.

PL 94-142 and Information Dissemination: A Step Forward.

Want information about the handicapped, who they are and what services are available? You can write your state department of education for material and be pretty sure of a response. Also the quality of the printed information, in terms of production and content, has improved greatly since PL 94–142 was enacted. It is generally brief, attractive, well-organized and intelligible, as well as being informative. You will find the specifics of the PL 94–142 explained and services for the handicapped outlined. However, there remains a number of aspects of this printed information which require improvements, especially readability and language features.

What Information Do Parents of Handicapped Children Need? a Question of Perspective

State departments of education (SEAs) and other agencies attempt to meet the informational needs of parents of handicapped persons and others interested in special education. Since the passage of PL 94-142, SEAs have been improving the quality and content of the print material they disseminate concerning disabled persons. This study indicates the level of importance various professional (including SEA directors of special education) and parental groups attribute to a set of criteria for print material development and dissemination. Also the differences of perception between professionals and parents are analyzed regarding the criteria and an actual piece of print material. Implications for SEA information development practice and parental involvement in such activity are discussed.

Allergies and Learning/Behavioral Disorders

How allergies affect school learning and behavior---and how to help Every fall and spring many teachers notice an outburst of coughmg, sneezing, wheezing, and nose blowing in their classrooms. Afflicted students E are rubbing itchy and bloodshot eyes, scratchmg rashes, and complaining of stomachaches and headaches. They are listless and generally miserable. Yes, you guessed it; it is allergy season! Besides the additional noise and movement in the classroom, teachers are concerned about other things. They question whether this is a temporary condition, and whether they should call parents about it. They sometimes wonder if the sleepy or hyperactive child is taking too much medication. Allergy outbreaks could not come at a worse time than the beginning of the school year, when the students full attention is particularly crucial, or the end of the school year, when the students best performance is required on final examinations.

Interagency Cooperation to Disseminate Materials Concerning Exceptional People's Needs.

Key elements in providing services to exceptional people are to arouse public awareness to their needs and to provide valid information about them. To enable parents of handicapped individuals and others interested in special education to receive useful printed information, agencies at various levels must cooperate more. This study outlines current cooperative activities among state departments of education and public and private agencies and associations. The results indicate a modest level of joint material development and dissemination practices in the past, but a high level of interest and capability in future cooperative activities. Obstacles to joint ventures are discussed, and examples of possible cooperation are given.