Longstanding concern about how learning disabilities (LD) are defined and identified, coupled with recent efforts in Washington, DC to eliminate IQachievement discrepancy as an LD marker, have led to serious public discussion about alternative identification methods. The most popular of the alternatives is responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI), of which there are two basic versions: the "problem-solving" model and the "standard-protocol" approach. The authors describe both types, review empirical evidence bearing on their effectiveness and feasibility, and conclude that more needs to be understood before RTI may be viewed as a valid means of identifying students with LD.
Data suggest that students with emotional and behavioral disorders (fBD) are underidentified and underserved for a variety of reasons. In response to this problem, the authors identify misinformation and provide evidence-based information regarding prevalence; discuss the role of stigma and exclusion from the fBD category and appropriate responses to them; identify and refute negative attitudes toward special education, especially for students with fBD; examine the evidence for false identification; and suggest how research on identification of fBD might be done. Conclusions and recommendations are provided.
Diversity of instructional needs requires diversity in instructional groups. Teaching all children well requires that they be grouped homogeneously for instruction. Instruction must not be secondary to placement in special education. The ideology of full inclusion works against good instruction in some cases. The ultimate test of special education should be whether a particular student is receiving good instruction that matches his or her needs, not the student's placement.
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