Presenting major advances in understanding learning disabilities (LDs) and describing effective educational practices, this authoritative volume has been significantly revised and expanded with more than 70% new material. Foremost LD experts identify effective principles of assessment and instruction within the framework of multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). With a focus on what works in the classroom, the book explores the full range of reading, mathematics, and writing disabilities. It synthesizes knowledge from neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, and special and general education. Illustrations include eight color plates. As a special supplement, a chapter on the history of the LD field from the first edition is provided at the companion website.
New to This Edition
*Heightened emphasis on intervention, including significant new developments in reading comprehension and math.
*Chapter on principles of effective instruction and MTSS.
*Chapter on automaticity in reading, math, and writing.
*Chapter on challenges in real-world implementation of evidence-based practices.
*Chapter on the validity of the LD construct.
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Are Learning Disabilities Real?
3. Classification and Definition of Learning Disabilities: The Problem of Identification
4. Assessment of Learning Disabilities
5. Effective Instruction for Students with Learning Disabilities: A Multi-Tiered System of Supports
6. Word-Level Reading Disabilities (Dyslexia)
7. Text-Level Reading Disabilities (Specific Reading Comprehension Disability)
8. Mathematics Disabilities: Calculation and Problem Solving
9. Written Expression Disabilities
10. The Problem of Automaticity
11. Translating the Results of Scientific Research into Educational Practice
References
Index
About the Author :
Jack M. Fletcher, PhD, is the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at the University of Houston. Since the 1970s, Dr. Fletcher, a child neuropsychologist, has completed research on many issues related to learning disabilities, including definition and classification, neurobiological correlates, and intervention, and has written over 400 articles in peer-reviewed journals. He is Principal Investigator of the Texas Center for Learning Disabilities, has served on and chaired the Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities study section of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and is a former member of the NICHD National Advisory Council and the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education. He is a recipient of the Samuel Torrey Orton Award from the International Dyslexia Association and the Albert J. Harris Award from the International Literacy Association. Dr. Fletcher is a past president of the International Neuropsychological Society.
G. Reid Lyon, PhD, is Distinguished Scientist Emeritus in Neuroscience and Cognition at the Center for Brain Health, The University of Texas at Dallas. He is also Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Southern Methodist University, where he served as Associate Dean of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development and Chair of the Department of Education Policy and Leadership. He served on the Maternal and Child Health study section of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and chaired the NICHD Learning Disability Research Centers Reading Development and Disorders study sections. Dr. Lyon has published over 135 articles, books, and book chapters addressing dyslexia, classification and definition of learning disabilities, developmental neuroimaging, neurophysiological correlates of reading interventions, and the development of gist reasoning in adolescents. He is a recipient of the Director's Award for Scientific Leadership in Neuroscience and Learning Disabilities from the National Institutes of Health and of the Norman Geschwind Memorial Lecture and the Samuel Torrey Orton Award from the International Dyslexia Association.
Lynn S. Fuchs, PhD, is the Dunn Family Endowed Chair of Psychoeducational Assessment, Special Education, and Human Development at Vanderbilt University. She is among the most highly cited researchers in the social sciences (according to Thomson Reuters); has published more than 350 articles in peer-reviewed journals; and serves on the editorial boards of many journals, including the Journal of Educational Psychology, Scientific Studies of Reading, Elementary School Journal, Journal of Learning Disabilities, and Exceptional Children. Her research focuses on classroom-based assessment as well as instructional methods for students with reading disabilities and math disabilities. In addition, Dr. Fuchs has conducted programmatic research on assessment methods for enhancing instructional planning and on instructional methods for improving reading and math outcomes for students with learning disabilities.
Marcia A. Barnes, PhD, is Dunn Family Chair in Psychoeducational Assessment in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University. Previously, she was Professor & H. E. Hartfelder/Southland Corp Regents Chair in the Department of Special Education and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research focuses on math and reading comprehension disabilities in children with and without brain injuries. She also studies the typical development of reading comprehension skills, and has created several paradigms for assessing inference-making in children. Dr. Barnes has published 120 peer-reviewed papers, chapters, and books. She is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Learning Disabilities and the Journal of Educational Psychology and has served on several national grant review panels in the United States and Canada.
Review :
"This important work is elegantly crafted by authors who have made significant contributions to research and practice and who are committed to evidence-based solutions to the many challenges associated with diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of LDs. The updated second edition deals with the new discoveries at the intersection of education, psychology, and neuroscience that have been made at a staggering pace, as well as lively debates regarding definitions and criteria setting. Not only is this book timely and authoritative, but it also makes a real contribution to helping us understand where the field is now and where we need to go next. I consider this to be a 'must read' volume for researchers, educators, policymakers, and all others concerned with improving outcomes for children who struggle in the classroom and beyond."--Kenneth R. Pugh, PhD, President and Director of Research, Haskins Laboratories; Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut; Department of Linguistics, Yale University
"There are so many books and so little time--yet this one, I assure you, is worth your precious time. Whether your primary interest is teacher training, research, or classroom practice, this book provides the knowledge you need. Building on the exemplary first edition, the second edition features current research on all domains of LDs (math, word reading, writing, reading comprehension) and expanded practical guidance for implementing research-based practices across the grade span. It explains best practices in instruction and assessment in the context of current special and general education policy."--Sharon Vaughn, PhD, Executive Director, Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, and Manuel J. Justiz Endowed Chair in Education, The University of Texas at Austin
"Scientific knowledge of LDs has greatly expanded in the dozen years since the first edition was published. The second edition includes a wealth of current information on the types and manifestations of LDs, neurobiological underpinnings, and effective interventions. The coverage is comprehensive; findings are evaluated in terms of the adequacy of their methods and distilled into meaningful summaries of key facets and instructional principles. The many tables and figures underscore important themes and enhance the book’s utility as a professional resource and core text. Beyond its value in updating scientific progress in the field, this work demonstrates both the promise and challenges of broader-scale applications of evidence-based approaches.”--H. Gerry Taylor, PhD, ABPP-CN, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Institute; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University
"I have been recommending the first edition of this book to every graduate student I work with, and I look forward to continuing this tradition with the second edition. I especially appreciate the new chapter on the reality of LDs and the updated coverage of interventions. Amid ongoing debates about definitions of LDs, the research literature has at times seemed out of step with the reality we see daily of individuals whose performance improves substantially when provided suitable intervention and accommodations. This second edition provides an authoritative source for appropriate interventions."--Richard K. Wagner, PhD, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Florida State University; Associate Director, Florida Center for Reading Research
"The LD field has never been more conceptually chaotic than it is today--fortunately, the second edition of this seminal book provides much-needed clarity. The authors present models for the identification, prevention, and treatment of LDs that are practical and well grounded in research. In addition to pointing out effective approaches based on solid science, the authors also identify common practices that lack support. This book is well suited for preservice trainees and for practitioners who hope to further develop their skills. The second edition addresses the role of MTSS and provides additional information about dyslexia, both of which are important topics in practice today. It should be widely read and used to improve the lives of children with LDs."--Matthew K. Burns, PhD, Rose and Irving Fein Endowed Professor of Special Education, University of Florida; Assistant Director, University of Florida Literacy Institute
"This second edition is the definitive source for teachers, administrators, and researchers on evidence-based practices for teaching academic skills to students with LDs. Its acclaimed authors provide a detailed, compelling, and nuanced picture of LDs and how to address their impact on students’ learning."--Steve Graham, EdD, Warner Professor, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University -Jack Fletcher and his colleagues have written an impressively comprehensive textbook on [learning disabilities] (LD), consisting of strong opinions and conclusions along with a careful review of research to back them up. The authors are all senior scholars in the LD field, and their ability to synthesize findings from a vast literature is remarkable. (Though this is a second edition of a book initially published in 2007, it is such a major expansion and revision that it is essentially a different book.)…This is a textbook more than a practitioner's manual, but practitioners would nonetheless benefit from this accessible review of research and careful arguments for evidence-based practice in LD.--NASP Communiqué, 5/1/2019ƒƒHighly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through practitioners. (on the first edition)--Choice Reviews, 6/1/2007
"This important work is elegantly crafted by authors who have made significant contributions to research and practice and who are committed to evidence-based solutions to the many challenges associated with diagnosis, assessment, and treatment of LDs. The updated second edition deals with the new discoveries at the intersection of education, psychology, and neuroscience that have been made at a staggering pace, as well as lively debates regarding definitions and criteria setting. Not only is this book timely and authoritative, but it also makes a real contribution to helping us understand where the field is now and where we need to go next. I consider this to be a 'must read' volume for researchers, educators, policymakers, and all others concerned with improving outcomes for children who struggle in the classroom and beyond."--Kenneth R. Pugh, PhD, President and Director of Research, Haskins Laboratories; Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut; Department of Linguistics, Yale University
"There are so many books and so little time--yet this one, I assure you, is worth your precious time. Whether your primary interest is teacher training, research, or classroom practice, this book provides the knowledge you need. Building on the exemplary first edition, the second edition features current research on all domains of LDs (math, word reading, writing, reading comprehension) and expanded practical guidance for implementing research-based practices across the grade span. It explains best practices in instruction and assessment in the context of current special and general education policy."--Sharon Vaughn, PhD, Executive Director, Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk, and Manuel J. Justiz Endowed Chair in Education, The University of Texas at Austin
"Scientific knowledge of LDs has greatly expanded in the dozen years since the first edition was published. The second edition includes a wealth of current information on the types and manifestations of LDs, neurobiological underpinnings, and effective interventions. The coverage is comprehensive; findings are evaluated in terms of the adequacy of their methods and distilled into meaningful summaries of key facets and instructional principles. The many tables and figures underscore important themes and enhance the book’s utility as a professional resource and core text. Beyond its value in updating scientific progress in the field, this work demonstrates both the promise and challenges of broader-scale applications of evidence-based approaches.”--H. Gerry Taylor, PhD, ABPP-CN, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Research Institute; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University
"I have been recommending the first edition of this book to every graduate student I work with, and I look forward to continuing this tradition with the second edition. I especially appreciate the new chapter on the reality of LDs and the updated coverage of interventions. Amid ongoing debates about definitions of LDs, the research literature has at times seemed out of step with the reality we see daily of individuals whose performance improves substantially when provided suitable intervention and accommodations. This second edition provides an authoritative source for appropriate interventions."--Richard K. Wagner, PhD, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Florida State University; Associate Director, Florida Center for Reading Research
"The LD field has never been more conceptually chaotic than it is today--fortunately, the second edition of this seminal book provides much-needed clarity. The authors present models for the identification, prevention, and treatment of LDs that are practical and well grounded in research. In addition to pointing out effective approaches based on solid science, the authors also identify common practices that lack support. This book is well suited for preservice trainees and for practitioners who hope to further develop their skills. The second edition addresses the role of MTSS and provides additional information about dyslexia, both of which are important topics in practice today. It should be widely read and used to improve the lives of children with LDs."--Matthew K. Burns, PhD, Rose and Irving Fein Endowed Professor of Special Education, University of Florida; Assistant Director, University of Florida Literacy Institute
"This second edition is the definitive source for teachers, administrators, and researchers on evidence-based practices for teaching academic skills to students with LDs. Its acclaimed authors provide a detailed, compelling, and nuanced picture of LDs and how to address their impact on students’ learning."--Steve Graham, EdD, Warner Professor, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University -Jack Fletcher and his colleagues have written an impressively comprehensive textbook on [learning disabilities] (LD), consisting of strong opinions and conclusions along with a careful review of research to back them up. The authors are all senior scholars in the LD field, and their ability to synthesize findings from a vast literature is remarkable. (Though this is a second edition of a book initially published in 2007, it is such a major expansion and revision that it is essentially a different book.)…This is a textbook more than a practitioner's manual, but practitioners would nonetheless benefit from this accessible review of research and careful arguments for evidence-based practice in LD.--NASP Communiqué, 5/1/2019Æ’Æ’Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through practitioners. (on the first edition)--Choice Reviews, 6/1/2007
