Because writing is complex and draws upon so many psychological and cognitive processes, learning to write is even more challenging for students with disabilities than it is for typically developing students. Nonetheless, writing research in the field of education and special education lags behind that of many other academic subjects. The body of research that does exist indicates that affective factors (attitude toward writing, evaluation of self as a writer, enjoyment of writing) impact students' writing achievement. This paper explores whether including a response journal element as part of classroom writing assessment affects the attitude toward writing of students with disabilities. The project follows from understanding the unique cognitive characteristics of adolescents as well as current theories of writing development and writing assessment. Results indicated that the dialogue journals reflected and supported participants' cognitive development, and increased their confidence, self-efficacy, and self-image as writers as well as their motivation to continue to improve their writing. Implications for research include confirming previous research and filling a gap in the research with a successful strategy for improving adolescent writing. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]