Transition Goals for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities.

Transition Goals for Adolescents with Learning Disabilities. Catherine Trapani. A College Hill Publication, Little Brown and Company, Boston/Toronto/London, 1990, 179 pages, softcover.

This book is a "simple overview of the issues surrounding the adolescent with learning disabilities." (pg. xii) included are chapters on Assessment, the Secondary School Curriculum, Social Competence, Social Skills Training, issues of the Family, and Transitions.

This book is well written. it is easier to read than most academic literature, yet it has strong citations and a solid bibliography. The author summarizes issues well and presents her opinion clearly. Interesting case histories add color to the text.

Trapani maintains an evenhanded tone, and yet is not afraid to speak negative truths. She balances this off by clear and positive discussion of how the system should work for adolescents with learning disabilities. For example, in the chapters on social competence and social skills, she admits that social skills training has not been consistently proven to be a valid procedure for improving social skills deficits. She explains that the development of social skills among non-disabled children is not well understood. And, she shows that these social skills are often not well-generalized from the classroom setting to other interactions. However, she ends the chapter by recommending that peer tutoring be used to teach social skills. She suggests research directions such as studying the relationship between social skills development and intelligence level, and obtaining reliable measures of social skills so that it is clear which youngsters need help.

She balances the viewpoints of consumers and professionals. Her discussion of family issues is compassionate, explaining the feelings of the parents and the teachers. The author strongly believes in increasing independence through transition services and encourages the inclusion of adolescents in the I.E.P. meeting. Her last chapter points towards a bright future for many people with learning disabilities through college, vocational education, and employment. This book could be used in many ways; as a textbook, an overview for a professional who is starting in the field, and a review for someone who has experience with adolescents with learning disabilities. Dale S. Brown, National Network of Learning Disabled Adults, Washington, D.C.