Hello all,
 
Thanks to Susan, Jennifer, and Tom.  We received three different  suggestions 
for research possibilities for the field of Learning  Disabilities.  I have 
summarized the research  questions below:
 
1.    Is public and professional awareness of Adults  with Learning 
Disabilities lagging behind the research?
 
2.    Do our students with learning disabilities have  the literacy skills 
they need as they transition from elementary through  secondary school levels 
and beyond?
 
3.    Why do adults with learning disabilities fail to  reach functional 
literacy levels?
 
4.    What are effective, best practices that should be  used to provide 
adults with learning disabilities the most flexible,  accommodating, and 
motivating learning environments?

5.    What cognitive,  linguistic, psycho-social, developmental, sensory, or 
other mechanisms of  reading are brought to bear on the task of reading?
 
 
I know that we have researchers that are subscribed to this List.  I  
encourage researchers and others to comment on the above - as well as continue  to 
add to this list.
 
I will continue to compile this list and, when completed, will officially  
submit it to the National Institute for Literacy and the Center for Literacy  
Studies at UTK.
 
I look forward to hearing more of your suggestions!
 
Thanks,
 
 
Rochelle
 
 
#1
Personally I think public and professional awareness is  lagging behind the 
research... so I'd love some research about that just to shed  more light on 
whether I'm right or not :) 

Susan Jones, Academic  Development Specialist 
Academic Development Center 
Parkland College  
Champaign, IL 61821 
sujones at parkland
 
 
#2
The research question that interests me is twofold: Why, after  six years of 
schooling, large numbers of students are not functionally literate  and how 
best to meet their literacy needs in the secondary school - and beyond.  (Not to 
mention meeting the literacy needs of all in primary school).  

Jennifer Clancy 


#3
In my work I observe that it isn't so much something that's  "wrong" with the 
individual with a disability. Rather, it is something in his or  her 
environment that creates a disabling condition because of inflexibility and  inability 
to accommodate to individual differences. There is something "wrong"  with 
the environment. Please let there be research into best practices for  providing 
flexible, accommodating, and 
motivating learning environments.  

I would like to see continuing basic research into the mechanisms of  
reading, specifically, the cognitive, linguistic, psycho-social, developmental,  
sensory, and other processes that are brought to bear on the task of reading. It  
is a rich and varied field, and there should be lots of room for different  
perspectives. 

Tom Woods 
Community High School of Vermont  


 
Rochelle Kenyon, Moderator
NIFL/LINCS Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Center for  Literacy Studies at the University of Tennessee
_RKenyon721 at aol.com_ (mailto:RKenyon721 at aol.com)  

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