Silvana M. R. Watson

Longitudinal Outcomes for Mathematics Achievement for Students with Learning Disabilities

ABSTRACT Using longitudinal data from the first 6 waves of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K), the authors examined mathematics achievement and growth trajectories by learning disability (LD) subgroups. The 2-level (time–student) growth curve model showed that lower levels of mathematics achievement were already evident at kindergarten entry for all subgroups of students identified as LD during the elementary school years. Results indicate that students with LD as a group made smaller gains in mathematics than students without disabilities. This finding underscores the need for early identification combined with frequent assessment of progress and responsive instruction.

Strategies for Addressing the Executive Function Impairments of Students Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol and Other Drugs

Students who have been exposed prenatally to alcohol or other drugs are susceptible to a range of developmental problems— from mild to severe. In this article, the authors review critical learning and behavioral problems of children exposed prenatally to alcohol and other drugs, with a specific focus on executive function deficits. They discuss various risk factors associated with prenatal drug exposure so that educators may better understand the nature of the problem and choose more effective classroom interventions that address the executive function deficits of these students. Many of the suggested interventions are also appropriate for developing executive functioning in students with attention-deficit disorders, traumatic brain injury, autism, and other disorders associated with deficits in executive functions.

Psychosocial Treatments for ADHD: A Systematic Appraisal of the Evidence

Objective: Children with learning disabilities often experience comorbid ADHD, impacting on the effectiveness of interventions for those children. In addition to pharmacologic intervention, clinicians and educators employ a variety of psychosocial methods to address the behavioral and social issues that arise in children with ADHD, including those with co-occurring learning disabilities. Numerous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been conducted examining treatment studies using psychosocial interventions for children with ADHD. Because of the importance of such reviews to evidence based clinical and educational practice, it is essential that reviews be conducted with rigorous methodologies to avoid bias in conclusions (Schlosser, Wendt, & Sigafoos, 2007). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses conducted for psychosocial treatments of ADHD in children. Method: Electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed, English language studies of psychosocial treatments for ADHD in children up to 18-years-old from 1998 to 2010. Twenty-one studies were identified that met inclusion criteria (13 systematic reviews, 8 meta-analyses). Independent examiners used the quality rating scale proposed by Auperin, Pignon, and Pynard (1997) to rate the characteristics of good systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Results: Results indicated that certain methodological characteristics were common across trials reviewed, yet shortcomings were common among most reviews, including inadequate descriptions of data extraction methods and lack of quality ratings for trials included in the reviews. Conclusion: Synthesis of findings from the five top-rated reviews and the literature on ADHD suggest that psychosocial treatments contribute to improvements on behavioral and social outcomes. How ADHD and LD interplay in treatment outcomes is largely unexplored.

Unraveling the Complex Nature of Mathematics Learning Disability: Implications for Research and Practice.

In this article, we provide an overview of current knowledge on the underlying cognitive deficits associated with mathematics learning disabilities (MLD). We highlight difficulties surrounding the identification of MLD that include inconsistency in defining MLD, comorbidity with other disabilities, problems associated with assessment tools and actual skills measured, and the limited research on MLD. We offer suggestions for strengthening the research base, which in turn should contribute to improved outcomes for students with mathematics disabilities.

Combining Ecobehavioral Assessment, Functional Assessment, and Response to Intervention to Promote More Effective Classroom Instruction:

In this article, the authors discuss ways ecobehavioral assessment (EBA) has contributed to greater understanding of students’ response to instructional intervention and its relationship to academic learning and achievement. EBA represents a proven effective way to conduct a contextual analysis of the instructional environments, teacher and student interactions, student engagement, and specific teaching practices that promote learning. It mirrors much of the current thinking regarding functional assessment of academic behavior and response to intervention (RTI). With EBA, school personnel are able to examine various aspects of the classroom environment and instruction to determine how best to increase students’ positive response to instruction and, in turn, improve academic achievement. The authors argue that incorporating elements of EBA into the RTI model yields a more complete picture by allowing observers to identify the ecological and educational factors that promote or inhibit student academic gains. That knowledge can easily be incorporated into multitiered prevention and intervention programs in schools.

The Vision of Full Inclusion Don't Exclude Kids by Including Them

—Speech-language pathologists, special educators, and regular educators are being faced with determining how to fully include students with disabilities within regular education classrooms. This article reviews the reasons behind the full inclusion movement, concerns that have been raised about full inclusion, and what elements are necessary to implement successful inclusion programs. In addition, the authors describe the efforts of an elementary school staff to implement inclusive education for students from culturally/linguistically diverse backgrounds and students with learning disabilities.

Effects of noise and audiovisual cues on speech processing in adults with and without ADHD

Abstract Objective: This study examined the interplay among internal (e.g. attention, working memory abilities) and external (e.g. background noise, visual information) factors in individuals with and without ADHD. Design: A 2 × 2 × 6 mixed design with correlational analyses was used to compare participant results on a standardized listening in noise sentence repetition task (QuickSin; 17), presented in an auditory and an audiovisual condition as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) varied from 25–0 dB and to determine individual differences in working memory capacity and short-term recall. Study sample: Thirty-eight young adults without ADHD and twenty-five young adults with ADHD. Results: Diagnosis, modality, and signal-to-noise ratio all affected the ability to process speech in noise. The interaction between the diagnosis of ADHD, the presence of visual cues, and the level of noise had an effect on a persons ability to process speech in noise. Conclusion: Young adults with ADHD benefited less from visual information during noise than young adults without ADHD, an effect influenced by working memory abilities.

Students prenatally exposed to drugs and alcohol: A survey of school personnel preparation

Abstract The authors surveyed university faculty regarding preparation of general educators, special educators, and speech‐language pathologists to work with students prenatally exposed to drugs and alcohol. The results confirm that, in general, teacher education and speech‐language pathology programs provide limited information on these students to either preservice or inservice teachers and speech‐language pathologists. The authors also compared the responses of the three groups of faculty and the responses of faculty within their specialization areas. Significant differences were found among the three groups and within the general education faculty group, differences that have significant implications for teacher and speech‐language pathologist preparation programs.

The Use of a Bar Model Drawing to Teach Word Problem Solving to Students With Mathematics Difficulties

For students with mathematics difficulties (MD), math word problem solving is especially challenging. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a problem-solving strategy, bar model drawing, on the mathematical problem-solving skills of students with MD. The study extended previous research that suggested that schematic-based instruction (SBI) and cognitive strategy instruction (CSI) delivered within an explicit instruction framework can be effective in teaching various math skills related to word problem solving. A multiple-baseline design replicated across groups was used to evaluate the effects of the intervention of bar model drawing on math problem-solving performance of students with MD. Student achievement was measured in terms of increased correct use of cognitive strategies and overall accuracy of math word problem solving. Results showed that bar modeling drawing is an effective strategy for increasing elementary students’ accuracy in solving math word problems and their ability to use cognitive strategies to solve the problems.

The Role of Executive Functions in Classroom Instruction of Studentswith Learning Disabilities

In this article, we describe executive functions and their role in determining student academic success. We focus on the executive function difficulties of students with learning disabilities and explain how executive dysfunctions can negatively affect different academic areas (e.g., reading comprehension, mathematics). Finally, we offer ways teachers can modify their instruction to better address the diverse needs of students with learning disabilities who are struggling to perform various academic tasks.