Abstract
This issue of LDRP includes a range of topics and methods. We begin with an article by McFarland, Williams, and Miciak who examine the type of literature published over the last 10 years in three learning disabilities (LD) journals: Journal of Learning Disabilities, Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, and Learning Disability Quarterly. The authors identify the type of article, topic and population addressed, sample characteristics, and the inclusion of students with LD. Several trends were uncovered in the literature, including an increase in empirical research and a decrease in the inclusion of participants with labels of LD. Possible explanations for these trends are examined.
In the second article, Mellard, Fall, and Woods examine the relation between reading fluency and reading competency of adult education learners. The authors examine data from several adult basic and secondary education learners to examine the role of reading fluency in reading competence. Fluency was found to be an important factor, but the extent to which instruction in fluency should be emphasized depended on the goals of instruction.
The third article turns our attention to Response to Intervention (RtI) with a focus on the sustainability of RtI at the school level. Burns et al. applied a framework for generalization and maintenance of behavior change described by Stokes and Baer to the problem of sustainability of RtI in the schools. The authors present several recommendations for schools as they implement RtI.
In the final article, Smith and Riccomini examine the effects of noise reduction on the performance of students with LD on a reading comprehension test. The authors take an innovative look at a topic that attracts little attention in the area of learning disabilities, but has potential to influence the performance of students on performance tasks. A simple technique for reducing the influence of extraneous noise may help to improve student performance.