Discusses early detection of hearing impairment in Japan with particular reference to the system used in Tokushima Prefecture. Suggests that a required screening of all children at 18 months of age resulted in 2 developments: (1) all the hard-of-hearing children were identified; and (2) public health nurses became more alert to hearing impairment…

Discusses the Home Training Program for congenital hearing-impaired infants and their families administered by the Teikyo University Hospital. Suggests that the program is based on the maximum use of residual hearing, early identification of hearing impairment and early intervention, and support for parents. (AA)

Effectiveness of a computer simulation to teach endodontic diagnosis was assessed using three groups (n=34,32,24) of dental students. All were lectured on diagnosis, pathology, and radiographic interpretation. One group then used the simulation, another had a seminar on the same material, and the third group had no further instruction. Results…

Differences between and interrelationships among reading and math achievement test scores for 269 students with learning disabilities were investigated to determine whether previous findings were replicable. Findings supported previous research that showed different achievement tests purporting to measure the same construct did not provide…

Reviews approaches for identification and diagnosis of specific learning disabilities and assessment strategies for elucidating functional and vocational deficits associated with specific learning disabilities. Discusses recommendations for provision of comprehensive assessment services. (Author/CM)

Discusses the ethical aspects of screening and testing for clinical detection of individuals infected with asymptomatic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Careful consideration must be given to individuals' rights, respect for their privacy, and society's obligations to provide needed clinical and social services in translating cautious medical…

Methods are described for quantifying and formalizing assessment of traumatic brain injury patient families. The advantages and disadvantages of empirical and clinical assessment are outlined, and four family assessment methods are reviewed: self-report, interview, observation, and laboratory. Specific assessment instruments are noted along with…

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…

This paper emphasizes the importance of testing infants for hearing loss in the newborn nursery and describes the screening program of the Nova Scotia Hearing and Speech Clinic as a model. In the program, high risk neonates are identified through screening programs by hospital personnel or by community health nurses. (JDD)

Diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders relies on the detection of deficits in social, play, and communication skills relative to the child's mental age. A case example illustrates the multidisciplinary process of making the diagnosis in very young children. Psychiatric evaluation criteria are examined, and a developmental framework for…

Tests of a neuropsychological model for spatial orientation in the absence of vision were developed and administered to 31 children with congenital blindness. Results support the neuropsychological model and indicate that some congenitally blind subjects had focal brain damage, sufficient to impair their capacity to be accurately oriented in…

Systematically assessed replicability and generalizability of a multidimensional alcoholism typological system in 399 inpatient, outpatient, and non-treatment-seeking cocaine abusers. Two different procedures supported the construct, concurrent, and predictive validity of the Type A-Type B distinction in cocaine abusers. Multidimensional…

This article provides an overview of how computer technologies can be used by educational audiologists. Computer technologies are classified into three categories: (1) information systems applications; (2) screening and diagnostic applications; and (3) intervention applications. (Author/DB)

Shares some lessons learned from performance-based assessment in the health professions, using four performance-based assessment methods as examples: (1) written clinical simulations (patient-management problems); (2) computer-based clinical simulations; (3) oral examinations; and (4) standardized patients (live simulations). (SLD)

Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), the leading cause of mental retardation, often goes unrecognized because of social and emotional taboos about alcohol and alcoholism. This article describes medical and behavioral characteristics of FAS children and describes guiding principles for educators, based on early intervention, teaching communication and…