Competencies for Professionals in Learning Disabilities

A major role of any professional organization is to establish standards by which professionals and practices in the field can be evaluated. DCLD has taken a major step in this direction by developing a set of competencies for teachers of learning disabled children and youth. This article presents the rationale behind the development of these competencies as well as potential uses of the competency statements. The development of this set of competency statements underscores the Division's commitment to upgrading current practices. Readers are strongly encouraged to provide feedback to Dr. Newcomer's Committee on the scope, format, and content of the competency statements. Meaningful standards can best be derived from these statements through a broad base of input from professionals in the field. - D.D.D.

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Competencies for Professionals in LD: An Analysis of Teacher Perceptions

Learning Disability Quarterly ◽

10.2307/1510842 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 70-79 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Mary Alice Freeman ◽

Randal L. Becker

Keyword(s):

Teacher Training ◽

Teacher Perceptions ◽

Learning Disability ◽

Learning Disabled ◽

Professional Organization ◽

Children And Youth ◽

Relative Importance ◽

Disabled Children ◽

Professional Competency

A major role of any professional organization is to establish standards by which to evaluate the professionals in the field as well as their practices. In 1978, DCLD developed a set of competencies for teachers of learning disabled children and youth (See LDQ, Spring, 1978). In this article Freeman & Becker report the results of a study designed to examine the opinion structure of practitioners regarding the relative importance of the competencies in the DCLD Professional Competency Document. These data have obvious implications for teacher training in the learning disability field.

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The Relationship between Creativity and Selective Attention in LD Boys

Learning Disability Quarterly ◽

10.2307/1510839 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 53-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Sara G. Tarver ◽

Barbara R. Buss ◽

Ronald P. Maggiore

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Selective Attention ◽

Learning Disabled ◽

Children And Youth ◽

Disabled Children ◽

Special Significance ◽

The Relationship

Historically, most programming and research efforts in the field of learning disabilities have focused on the disabilities evidenced by LD children and youth. By representing an attempt to consider the positive attributes of LD individuals, the study of creativity in the learning disabled population takes on special significance. The results of this investigation support the relationship between selective attention and creativity in LD boys. However, it was found that the relationship changed as a function of age and the type of creativity measured. The issues raised by this line of inquiry should provide impetus for other investigations designed to explore such attributes as creativity in learning disabled children and youth.

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Implementation of the Dcld Competency Standards

Learning Disability Quarterly ◽

10.2307/1510504 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 29-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

James E. Leigh

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Teacher Training ◽

Training Programs ◽

Code Of Ethics ◽

Learning Disabled ◽

Children And Youth ◽

Practical Implementation ◽

Disabled Children ◽

Certification Standards ◽

Teacher Training Programs

This article discusses the DCLD Code of Ethics and Competencies for Teachers of Learning Disabled Children and Youth and reviews each of its stated purposes related to: teacher training programs, certification standards, employment criteria, and monitoring of ongoing professional practices. Recommendations are made for practical implementation of the competency statements. While some of the recommendations pertain to applications in the future, the discussion emphasizes the need to implement the DCLD competencies as soon as possible. Even though the philosophical and theoretical debates regarding learning disabilities will not be resolved by the DCLD document, implementation of the competency standards will lead to significant improvement of services to children with learning disabilities.

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Referential Communication Abilities of Learning Disabled Children

Learning Disability Quarterly ◽

10.2307/1510634 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 70-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Margaret M. Noel

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Communication Competence ◽

Learning Disabled ◽

Spoken Language ◽

Referential Communication ◽

Communication Effectiveness ◽

Language Function ◽

Disabled Children ◽

Communication Ability ◽

General Communication

Disorders of spoken language have long been associated with learning disabilities. Recent research has focused less on linguistic characteristics and more on general communication effectiveness. This study investigated the referential communication ability of LD and non-LD elementary students. Developmental research has indicated that this language function tends to be well developed by early childhood and is a major precursor of later communication competence. Results of the present study indicated that LD students were less effective in providing descriptive information about objects than non-LD peers. Further analysis of LD communication revealed that such a lack of effectiveness was due to the LD students' limited use of labeling in their verbal descriptions.

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Strategy Training: A Need for Clarification

Council review ◽

10.1177/001440298705400103 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 54 (1) ◽

pp. 24-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Laurie U. deBettencourt

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Learning Disabled ◽

Training Needs ◽

Strategy Training ◽

Disabled Children ◽

Disabled Students ◽

Training Interventions ◽

Precise Understanding

On the basis of research in the field of learning disabilities it has been concluded that many learning disabled students can be characterized as strategy-deficient, inactive learners. However, a precise understanding of strategy training procedures is frequently obscured by researchers. The term “strategy training” needs to be defined more clearly so that the approaches are understood more universally. In this article I discuss the rationale for strategy training interventions with learning disabled children, describe three approaches that are currently being studied in the field, and discuss the issues that arise.

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Sequence and space: The critical role of a backward spatial span in the working memory deficit of visuospatial learning disabled children

Cognitive Neuropsychology ◽

10.1080/02643290442000509 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 22 (8) ◽

pp. 1055-1068 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Irene Cristina Mammarella ◽

Cesare Cornoldi

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Critical Role ◽

Learning Disabled ◽

Memory Deficit ◽

Disabled Children ◽

Spatial Span ◽

Visuospatial Learning

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The Role of Cognitive Strategy Training in Improving the Academic Performance of Learning Disabled Children

Journal of Learning Disabilities ◽

10.1177/002221948601900902 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 19 (9) ◽

pp. 521-529 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Ellen Bouchard Ryan ◽

Elizabeth J. Short ◽

Keri A. Weed

Keyword(s):

Academic Performance ◽

Cognitive Strategy ◽

Learning Disabled ◽

Strategy Training ◽

Disabled Children

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The Role of Interference in the Verbal Retention Ability of Learning Disabled Children

Journal of Learning Disabilities ◽

10.1177/002221948101400514 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 291-295 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Laird S. Cermak ◽

Judith Goldberg-Warter ◽

David DeLuca ◽

Sharon Cermak ◽

Charles Drake

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabled ◽

Disabled Children

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The Concept of Intrinsic Motivation: Implications for Practice and Research with the Learning Disabled

Learning Disability Quarterly ◽

10.2307/1510306 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

pp. 43-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Howard S. Adelman

Keyword(s):

Learning Disabilities ◽

Behavior Problems ◽

Intrinsic Motivation ◽

Behavior Modification ◽

Basic Assumption ◽

Learning Disabled ◽

Learning Disorders ◽

Children And Youth ◽

Major Focus ◽

Research Activities

Many children and youth with learning disabilities manifest behavior problems in addition to various learning disorders. Historically, the major focus in the learning disability field has been on behavior modification while largely ignoring the construct of intrinsic motivation. A basic assumption of intrinsic motivation is the student's innate need for feeling competent and self-determining. Adelman reviews the basic constructs underlying intrinsic motivation and discusses their implications for assessment, intervention, and research activities in learning disabilities.

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