The majority of high-stakes tests from elementary school through postsecondary education include the timed impromptu essay as a measure of writing performance. For adolescents with writing disorders, this type of evaluation often presents a significant barrier. The purpose of the current study was twofold. First, we investigated the influence of…

This article reviews the varied components of written language, suggest informal means for written language assessment, and summarizes the cognitive and linguistic factors that influence varied aspects of writing performance. Two informal evaluation scales are presented that stress the interconnection between oral and written language processes.…

A study analyzed the assessment profiles of 48 young adults with giftedness and a learning disability (G/LD) and 46 young adults with a learning disability profile without giftedness. Findings indicate that the adults with G/LD tended to be identified later and have more discrepancy among cognitive assessment profile scores. (Author/CR)