The article examines issues concerning mild mental retardation (MMR) classification and programing including placement bias litigation, MMR diagnostic construct and classification criteria, general intellectual functioning, adaptive behavior, sociocultural status, pseudo reforms through changes in assessment, the Learning Potential Assessment…

Discussion of the role of the physician in working with college students with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) includes a definition of this role, symptoms and etiology of ADHD, gender differences, diagnosis criteria, use of worksheets and questionnaires, multimodal treatment, the use of medication and its side effects, and need for…

Clinicians who work with at-risk older adults are often faced with the difficult decision to override their client's civil rights and force institutionalization. Many times the professional is pressured by police or a housing manager to "just do something" with the judgmentally impaired older client. Clinicians faced with these decisions may…

This paper proposes "severe developmental disabilities" (SDD) as a useful umbrella term for various severe handicapping conditions such as autism, severe mental retardation, and multiple handicaps. Diagnostic criteria for SDD include language deficiency, disturbed interpersonal relationships, inconsistent response to sensory stimulation,…

This book is a compendium of papers presented March 18-20, 1996, at the eighteenth annual Spectrum of Developmental Disabilities course. Research findings are presented that address identification, diagnosis, management, and prognosis of specific reading disability. Individual chapters include: (1) "Dyslexia: The Evolution of a Concept" (John…

The veterinary diagnostic laboratory's prime role has been diagnosis and/or laboratory findings to assist a diagnosis. Interpretation and evaluation and more involvement with decision-making in monitoring groups of animals and their health status are seen as future roles for diagnostic laboratories. (MLW)

This introductory article to a clinical forum on computer applications in language, speech, and hearing services in the schools notes the relatively infrequent use of computers for clinical applications. It notes the forum's effort to identify common professional activities and evaluate computer options that may facilitate effective implementation…

The paper looks at rules for discourse in the classroom and how they may complement or conflict with each other in facilitating the learning of language disordered children in the classroom or therapy session. Six critical skills are identified which children need for a good teaching-learning interaction. They are: attention, turn taking,…

Although medical education currently emphasizes problem solving skills, recent evidence from psychological studies of clinical reasoning suggests that medical expertise is characterized by the gradual accumulation of experience in memory. This results in an ability to perceive, organize, and recall the extensive information given by the patient.…

Reviews history and research of sensorimotor and language development in handicapped children, two research studies on the relationship between sensorimotor development and communication status in nonverbal severely mentally retarded subjects, problems using standardized sensorimotor scales, and an alternative approach involving direct measurement…

This book offers a comprehensive look at the world of adults with dyslexia based on their personal experiences and perspectives. Aimed at teachers, employers, career advisers, counselors, and others who work with, support, or live with dyslexic adults, the book uses case studies and adult "voices" to illuminate issues affecting adults with…

This report on the state of the science in autism contains responses to questions posed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and recommendations concerning diagnosis, epidemiology, pathophysiology, communication/social/emotional development, medical intervention, social and behavioral intervention, and biostatistics. General recommendations…

This article reviews the concept and derivation of age-equivalent scores as evidence for speech-language deficits. It presents arguments against the use of age-equivalent scores in case management decisions and recommends that, when used, a report include a clear explanation of their true meaning and other summaries of test performance. (Author/DB)

A review of the literature on biological and environmental effects of cocaine use suggests that the classification of infants and young children as prenatally cocaine exposed is neither descriptive nor predictive of behavior. The classification of behavior rather than labeling of the child is encouraged, as are partnerships with families of…

This introductory article discusses the large numbers of infants and young children affected by behavioral and emotional problems that pose salient challenges for clinical assessment and management. It examines barriers to the delivery of mental health services and stresses the need to develop data concerning efficacy and effectiveness of…