Assessment of the Learning Disabled and Hyperactive Child: An Analysis and Critique

Abstract

A survey of seven scientific journals from the years 1972 through 1978 was conctucted to determine the assessment procedures used in the research literature to select learning disabled and hyperactive children. The findings supported an expected lack of specificity and consistency in the use of assessment instruments and selection criteria. A comparison between learning disabilities and hyperactivity studies showed that learning disabled children tended to be selected on the basis of standardized, objective tests, whereas, hyperactive children were more frequently identified on the basis of subjective indices. The need for standardized assessment procedures and for more detailed descriptions in the literature of these procedures in discussed.