Recognized as the definitive reference in the field, this book addresses a broad range of biologically based disorders that affect children's learning and development. Leading authorities review the genetics of each disorder; its course and outcome; associated developmental, cognitive, and psychosocial challenges; and what clinicians and educators need to know about effective approaches to assessment and intervention. Coverage encompasses numerous lower-incidence neurodevelopmental disabilities as well as more frequently diagnosed learning and behavior problems with a genetic component.

First Published in 1986. This is the companion volume to the Handbook of Cognitive, Social, and Neuropsychological Aspects of Learning Disabilities-Vol. 1. As such, it is a continuation of the theme and approach taken in the first volume. There are four thematic sections, comprised of three to four chapters each, dealing with cognitive (micro-level and macro-level), social, and neurological characteristics of learning-disabled individuals.

Systematic, authoritative, and timely, this is an outstanding reference and text for anyone working with or studying adolescents. More than 50 leading experts comprehensively review current knowledge on adolescent externalizing disorders, internalizing disorders, developmental disorders, personality and health-related disorders, gender identity and sexual disorders, and maltreatment and trauma. Chapters identify the core features of each disorder; explore its etiology, course, and outcome; address diagnostic issues specific to adolescents; and describe effective assessment and treatment approaches. The book also provides an integrative conceptual framework for understanding both healthy and maladaptive adolescent development.

Although experts agree that various types of learning disabilities do exist, few attempts have been made to classify learning disabled children into subtypes. The editors of this collection feel that the lack of subcategorization has frustrated previous research efforts to obtain a generalizable body of knowledge in the field. To meet this critical need for definitive information, this book presents basic reviews and theoretical approaches used to subtype learning disabled children -- ranging from a behavior genetics approach to a dimensional approach. It also demonstrates actual research methods utilizing theoretical approaches.

This volume has been developed as a direct result of a conference sponsored by the International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities, held at the University of California at Los Angeles. The text provides a review and critique of current research in the areas of intelligence, social cognition, achievement, and subtyping as they relate to learning disabilities. In addition, the concept that social behavior is an aspect of intelligence and the relationship between language and reading are discussed in detail by noted experts.

It is important to reaffirm the reality of the learning disabilities (LD) phenomenon as a condition that imposes genuine constraints on a student's ability to function, and not as some chimerical entity defined by an ever-changing political situation. Perceptual, memory, attention, linguistic, social, cognitive and neuropsychological factors are an integral part of LD. By mapping out in great detail and with much new data the acquired knowledge on learning disabilities, both empirical and theoretical, this book unravels many mysteries. This book is a landmark in learning disabilities studies, and it lays down solid foundations for future research and practical intervention in the field.

Intervention Research in Learning Disabilities is based on proceedings of the Symposium on Intervention Research sponsored by the Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children and held at Purdue University, November 14-16, 1988. It presents a wide range of critical issues and insights, both theoretical and practical, related to research with learning disabled individuals. The book is divided into four broad sections: issues in intervention research, academic interventions, social and behavioral interventions, and postsecondary interventions. It considers both present and future directions of such research. Topics explored include variance and verities in learning disability interventions, instruction derived from the strategy deficit model, enhancement of academic performance with mnemonic instruction, the content enhancement model for promoting content acquisition, interactive teaching and learning, social skills training (and an alternative approach to social skills training), the use of schema in research on the problem solving of learning disabled adolescents, and intervention effectiveness at the postsecondary level.

Neuropsychology has its roots in clinical neurology. Reading case de scriptions by 19th century neurologists, such as Wernicke's painstakingly detailed examinations of patients with the "aphasic symptom-complex," makes it obvious that neuropsychology is not a new discipline. Even the marriage with psychology is not new; the neurologist Arnold Pick, for example, was fully conversant with the developments in contemporary psychological as well as linguistic research. However, the primary focus of 19th and early 20th century psychology was on "general psychology," and only a small number of psychologists ventured into what then was called "differential psychology" (the psychology of individual dif ferences) including a few who became attached to neurological research and rehabilitation units after World War I. It remained until World War II for psychologists to establish a more solid working relationship with neurology. What psychology had to offer to neurology was its experimental skill, the development of a sophisticated methodology, and, for clinical work, the development of psychometrics. On the whole, the marriage between the two disciplines has been fruitful, leading to new insights, models, and discoveries about brain-behavior relationships, documented in several textbooks which appeared in rapid succession since the 1960s. In clinical practice, neuropsychology has been inventive in some respects, in others merely introducing psychometric rigor to already existing neurological examinations. As described in greater detail in this book, developmental neuropsy chology is of even more recent origin.

Although it has yet to be recognized by the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), nonverbal learning disabilities (NVLD) in children are a growing concern. NVLD are receiving increased attention from researchers as well as from clinicians encountering these conditions in their young clients. At the same time, reliable information on effective interventions for NVLD has lagged behind this interest. Nonverbal Learning Disabilities in Children: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Practice offers a well-rounded understanding of NVLD, placing it within the context of other developmental disorders, most notably high-functioning autism and Asperger’s syndrome. The most current genetic, environmental, and neurobiological theories of and research into the causes of NVLD (e.g., the “white matter model”), in-depth diagnostic methods, and quality interventions are examined. Using an evidence-based approach, this groundbreaking volume: Conceptualizes NVLD as a disorder with subtypes. Differentiates between diagnostic criteria for NVLD and Asperger’s Syndrome. Analyzes the co-occurrence of NVLD with other developmental disabilities and psychological disorders. Provides a comprehensive psychoeducational assessment model. Describes efficacious treatments and supports their empirical validation. Offers guidelines for sustaining treatment gains through effective collaboration of school personnel and family members. Nonverbal Learning Disabilities in Children is a must-have reference for researchers, practitioners, and graduate students in school and clinical child psychology, education, speech-language therapy, and other disciplines and professions involved in identifying and treating children with NVLD.