This book helps educators and clinicians navigate the maze of laws, policies, and scientific research relating to diagnostic and intervention decision making for adolescents and adults. Leading expert Noël Gregg provides clear guidance on how to conduct and document evidence-based assessments and select appropriate instructional and testing accommodations. --from publisher description.

Learning disabilities is a subject that is usually associated with school-aged children where the research and intervention strategies are well known. Much less research has been done for assessing and diagnosing older adolescents and adults in this area. This work is an effort to provide a comprehensive review of what we know about certain of these disorders, specifically: language-based learning disorders; nonverbal learning disorders; high-functioning autism; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; and mathematics disorders and how they manifest themselves in the later years of development and maturity. A chapter addresses each one of these disorders of learning. Included in each chapter is a discussion of historical perspectives, definitions and diagnostic criteria, incidence and prevalence data, comorbidity studies, pertinent research from all relevant fields of study, reasonable accommodations in academia as well as the workplace, and outcome data. This much-needed review will be of interest to clinicians in neuropsychology, educational psychology, and psychopharmacology.

This is the first textbook to give equal attention to the intellectual, conceptual, and practical aspects of learning disabilities. Topical coverage is both comprehensive and thorough, and the information presented is up-to-date.Provides a balanced focus on both the conceptual and practical aspects of learning disabilities (LD)**The research covered is far more comprehensive and of greater depth than any other LD textbook**The work is distinctive in its treatment of such important areas as consultation skills and service delivery

Children living in poverty are more likely to have mental health problems, and their conditions are more likely to be severe. Of the approximately 1.3 million children who were recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits in 2013, about 50% were disabled primarily due to a mental disorder. An increase in the number of children who are recipients of SSI benefits due to mental disorders has been observed through several decades of the program beginning in 1985 and continuing through 2010. Nevertheless, less than 1% of children in the United States are recipients of SSI disability benefits for a mental disorder. At the request of the Social Security Administration, Mental Disorders and Disability Among Low-Income Children compares national trends in the number of children with mental disorders with the trends in the number of children receiving benefits from the SSI program, and describes the possible factors that may contribute to any differences between the two groups. This report provides an overview of the current status of the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, and the levels of impairment in the U.S. population under age 18. The report focuses on 6 mental disorders, chosen due to their prevalence and the severity of disability attributed to those disorders within the SSI disability program: attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, learning disabilities, and mood disorders. While this report is not a comprehensive discussion of these disorders, Mental Disorders and Disability Among Low-Income Children provides the best currently available information regarding demographics, diagnosis, treatment, and expectations for the disorder time course - both the natural course and under treatment.

This strategy-filled handbook will teach education professionals how they can help students with mild disabilities apply their academic skills to organization, test-taking, study skills, note taking, reading, writing, math, and advanced thinking.

A high level of literacy in both print and digital media is required for negotiating most aspects of 21st-century life, including supporting a family, education, health, civic participation, and competitiveness in the global economy. Yet, more than 90 million U.S. adults lack adequate literacy. Furthermore, only 38 percent of U.S. 12th graders are at or above proficient in reading. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction synthesizes the research on literacy and learning to improve literacy instruction in the United States and to recommend a more systemic approach to research, practice, and policy. The book focuses on individuals ages 16 and older who are not in K-12 education. It identifies factors that affect literacy development in adolescence and adulthood in general, and examines their implications for strengthening literacy instruction for this population. It also discusses technologies for learning that can assist with multiple aspects of teaching, assessment,and accommodations for learning. There is inadequate knowledge about effective instructional practices and a need for better assessment and ongoing monitoring of adult students' proficiencies, weaknesses, instructional environments, and progress, which might guide instructional planning. Improving Adult Literacy Instruction recommends a program of research and innovation to validate, identify the boundaries of, and extend current knowledge to improve instruction for adults and adolescents outside school. The book is a valuable resource for curriculum developers, federal agencies such as the Department of Education, administrators, educators, and funding agencies.

Adolescenceâ€"beginning with the onset of puberty and ending in the mid-20sâ€"is a critical period of development during which key areas of the brain mature and develop. These changes in brain structure, function, and connectivity mark adolescence as a period of opportunity to discover new vistas, to form relationships with peers and adults, and to explore one's developing identity. It is also a period of resilience that can ameliorate childhood setbacks and set the stage for a thriving trajectory over the life course. Because adolescents comprise nearly one-fourth of the entire U.S. population, the nation needs policies and practices that will better leverage these developmental opportunities to harness the promise of adolescenceâ€"rather than focusing myopically on containing its risks. This report examines the neurobiological and socio-behavioral science of adolescent development and outlines how this knowledge can be applied, both to promote adolescent well-being, resilience, and development, and to rectify structural barriers and inequalities in opportunity, enabling all adolescents to flourish.

This groundbreaking volume, written by pioneering clinicians and researchers firmly convinced of the neurobiological underpinnings of ADD in adults, is the first to provide broad coverage of this burgeoning field. Written for professionals who diagnose and treat adults with ADD, it provides information from psychologists and physicians on the most current research and treatment issues regarding our understanding of ADD as a neurobiological disorder. According to the contributors, ADD in adults may be responsible for difficulties ranging from minor attention, memory, and organization problems in well-functioning adults to drug abuse and criminal behavior. A Comprehensive Guide to Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults begins by addressing the history of ADD and the evolution of our understanding of the disorder. The neurobiology of ADD is examined, laying a solid foundation for the clinician to develop a scientific understanding of this complex syndrome. The assessment and differential diagnosis of ADD is explored from the perspectives of a variety of specialists in the field. This includes an exploration of the interrelationships between attention deficit disorder and other neurodevelopmental disabilities that may interact with ADD to affect cognitive functioning, and an examination of the connections between ADD and a host of psychiatric conditions. Also covered is the process of differential diagnosis from a neurological perspective, which will help the non-medically trained clinician better to determine when a complete neurological evaluation seems warranted in the assessment process. Authors examine ADD with and without hyperactivity and describe a wide range of assessment tools that can be useful in developing a full diagnostic picture of different conditions that must be addressed in treating adults with the disorder. A wealth of experience, highly practical suggestions, and an optimistic outlook are the hallmark of the section on treatment. The authors strongly recommend a multifaceted treatment plan combining medication, psychotherapy, and addressing the pervasive self-esteem issues which typically haunt the adult whose condition has gone untreated. Specific treatment issues for Adults with ADD are also discussed. These include:- * the development of practical life management skills * the difficulties in relationships * ADD within the context of marriage and family * and higher education and the workplace. The volume concludes with a discussion of the legal implications of the diagnosis of ADD in adults as it pertains to education and employment, the important role of support groups for adults with ADD, and a thought-provoking examination of current and future research including the need for increased public recognition of ADD in adults. A Comprehensive Guide to Attention Deficit Disorder in Adults is a pioneering volume that will bring the most current information available to the attention of those able to help adult ADD sufferers...vocation and rehabilitation counselors, and numerous psychotherapists who recognize symptoms of depression and anxiety, but perhaps overlook the underlying attention deficit disorder. It will stimulate the interdisciplinary research that is the key to increasing knowledge and educate those who can truly make a difference.

Fully revised coverage with the most current diagnoses and treatments for adolescents and adults living with learning and attention disorders Reflecting the most recent and relevant findings regarding Learning Disabilities (LD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), this Second Edition of Learning and Attention Disorders in Adolescence and Adulthood provides practitioners in the fields of education and mental health with a set of practical guidelines to assist in the assessment, diagnosis, consultation, and treatment of adolescents and adults struggling with LD and ADHD. The new edition includes: An emphasis on working from strengths adapting to disabilities and dealing with them successfully on a daily basis New coverage of the causes and long-term implications of LD and ADHD in adolescents and adulthood New chapters on treatment effectiveness; building resiliency and shaping mindsets; cognitive therapy; and strategic life coaching to help guide individuals with LD and ADHD Contributions from leading researchers, including Noel Gregg, Russell Barkley, Kevin Antshel, and Nancy Mather Drawing on evidence-based techniques to meet the pragmatic demands for intervention, the Second Edition guides school psychologists, counselors, and educators in promoting positive change for adolescents and adults with LD and ADHD as they strive for success in school, work, and home settings.